The Witch and the Sorcerer
by sharpiewashereFF
Summary: "...As wicked as you are, you're beautiful to me." Post-Dark World. Loki/OC
1. Found

Jotunheim. One of the coldest of the Nine Realms. Where it is winter year-round, and only the strongest of creatures live. There was no vegetation to speak of, nor was there sunlight. The land was made of jagged rocks and mountains, snow, and ice. In comparison to the other realms, Jotunheim was an icy wasteland, but when the frozen shell was cracked, one could find treasures hidden beneath the surface.  
A black horse, with a shaggy winter coat, and as tall as two men stood in the cold blizzard with its rider. He snorted and blinked the sharp snowflakes out of his eyes. His rider looked from side to side, seeing nothing but rocks and a storm of snow flying down from the angry black and blue clouds above. It was late in the day, though one could not tell without a keen sense of time. However, the rider knew, and he also knew that the storm was here for the night, and his quest was cut short for the day.  
The horse shook his man furiously and his rider could feel the animal's muscles twitching. The creature was cold, as was his rider. He pulled his furs tightly around him and nudged his steed in the sides with his heels. The horse snorted and began to move forward. It was time to call it a day and return to the cave he had been calling home for three days and nights. Though home in the cold, he was tired of it, and though would never verbally admit it, he wanted to be in the warmth of Asgard and eat what he pleased, not what he had to make do with. He longed for a nice soak in a bath of hot water, surrounded in the scents of Asgard's finest fragrant oils and go to bed with a full stomach and his palace finally back in order—in it's original splendor. Yet, he was alone in the mountains of Jotunheim in search of a measly rock that would do his dirty work for him. He was freezing and hungry, but his pride was still intact. As far as he was concerned, working to get what he wanted was quicker and easier than having men do it for him.  
He looked around at his surroundings as his steed trudged through the snow, knowing exactly where to go. He had had half a mind to make the palace his own and turn it into a world all his own. Crystal replacing gold, and firelight replaced by magic. A throne made of ice. Even Jotun runes etched into the floor of the throne room. However, the prince-now-king was not raised in Jotunheim. His lineage was Frost Giant royalty, but he was raised to be king of Asgard as an Aesir. Now, he was king, and he was ruling Asgardians._They_ were his people. It was them he was loyal to, and he would repair the palace as it was when he was a child. However, he would fix it his way. He may have been Loki, the son of Laufey, but now he was Loki, King of Asgard, and he had responsibilities. He knew how to rule, for he had been trained for it. However, he also knew how to do great things with a sharp mind and clever illusions.  
The horse, who was tired and ready to go back to the cave, snorted and yanked his head upwards. Loki was snapped from his thoughts as he looked up to see two figures race through the snow and disappear. Loki squinted, watching their forms fade into the blizzard. They were undoubtedly Frost Giants, but he found it peculiar that they were out and roaming around. He could not help but wonder what they were doing. He had a strange feeling that they were up to some kind of trouble. He could tell just by their body language, even from a distance. He feared for a fleeting moment if they had discovered his cave and ransacked it, but Loki was not foolish enough to leave traces of himself behind. Besides, the cave was carefully protected by an enchantment that could only be detected by sorcerers. It was Aesir magic, and though Frost Giants had some amount of intelligence, this magic was far beyond them.  
When he could no longer see, nor hear the fleeing Frost Giants, Loki found himself curious as to what the two were up to. Had they found an edible creature? Were they hiding something? He could not resist, so, with a click of his tongue and a tap of his heels, the horse trotted forward through the snow, which was quickly becoming as thick as fine beach sand.  
Loki guided the horse around a clump of large rocks and up a hill, following the quickly disappearing footprints of the Giants. On top of the hill, a figure lay in the snow. It was significantly smaller than a Frost Giant. Thinking it was an animal, Loki dismounted his horse and trudge through the snow to the figure. He tucked one hand inside his furs and gripped his dagger, in the case where the thing would attack him. However, as he grew closer, he could hear the thing cry and see it shake. It was no animal, nor was it Frost Giant. Seeing this, Loki moved faster through the snow and stood above it. The surrounding snow was melted and red, soaked in the figure's blood. The figure had long, dark hair, wet from the snow and blood. It was a woman, skin pale as the snow, and her breathing was shallow.  
Loki got down on his knees and gently rolled the woman over. He gasped when he saw her face. He thought the face was familiar, though it was contorted with agony and tears.

"Could it be?" he whispered to himself.

He gently grasped her chin, making her look at him. She blinked, and when he saw her eyes, he knew exactly who she was. As chilled as he was, he felt his blood run cold. Any other person, he would have left, or put out of their misery. Had it been a person of his realm, he may have returned them to Asgard and placed them in the hands of the palace medics, but this person was no stranger to him. It had been years, but he had ached for a reunion with this woman—he just wished it didn't have to be like this. In a blizzard in Jotunheim, bleeding and near death.  
She let out whimper and clutched her side. Blood was coating her fingers. Loki reached for his dagger and pulled it out of its hidden pocket. The dagger could have been used to kill the woman and put her out of her misery, but Loki could never bring himself to cause her harm. She was the only woman in the Nine Realms whose life he would willingly save—he just wished she didn't have to suffer like this.

"Stay still," he ordered.

He took the dagger and ripped open her clothing, which was not the clothing of a Jotun, nor was it Asgardian, but rather, Midgardian. The wound in her side was deep and festering, a sign of being stabbed with a diseased knife. He knew the infection was already spreading. He pressed his hand to the wound and closed his eyes, reciting a spell in a foreign and ancient language. The bleeding stopped halfway through the spell, and when the spell was completed, the wound was sealed, leaving nothing but the infected pus that oozed out of the sealing wound. Loki scraped it off with his dagger and set it on fire, killing the infection so it would not try and kill another.  
The woman below him whimpered, her breathing shaky. Loki pulled her head onto his knee.

"Remain calm. You're safe," he said softly.

Loki whistled for his steed. The horse trotted up to him and the wounded and sick woman.

"Can you stand?" Loki asked her.

Her eyes rolled around in their sockets. She was delirious from fever. Loki gritted his teeth. Had he been foolish enough, he would have waged war on Jotunheim just for this, but he had other worries.

"Come," was all he said to her.

Loki wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up. The woman was barely comprehensive, and Loki had to help her into the saddle. He then climbed up behind her and held her to him. He nudged the horse on, and as quickly as the creature could go, he raced her to the safety of the cave.  
Inside the cave, he summoned fire and started a small campfire in the cave. He laid the woman down in a bed of furs he had been using as his bed, then covered her with the ones he had been wearing. He fed his horse, then reached into his knapsack for several corked bottles. He poured water into a pot out of a container, then poured a bit of the contents of the bottles and made a sort of tea. When it was brewed, he brought a ladle of it to the woman and made her drink it.

"Swallow," he ordered, "It will flush impurities from your body."

She dumbly did as she was told. Loki would not show it, but he felt anger and sadness churn into a dangerous mix and course through him. He hated the Jotuns for harming her, and seeing her too sick with fever to know how to function broke him. He gritted his teeth and tried not let his anger get the best of him as he held the ladle and the woman, making sure she drank all of the tea. When it was polished off, Loki gently helped her back down. She was sweating profusely, and it would only get worse as the tea flushed her system. He knew she was burning up, but he had to keep her warm and break her fever. It was essential for her survival.  
As she fell into a fitful sleep, Loki made himself something to eat, watered his horse, then threw a blanket over the stallion before returning to the bed of furs to check on the woman. She was no longer sweating, and some color had returned to her face. However, this was not over. He knew as soon as he got what he came for, he would have to take her to Asgard as soon as possible to get the proper care.  
Loki shrugged off his boots and leather jacket, then his armor and set it on a rock ledge. He proceeded to cast a heat charm over the cave, so when his fire went out, he and his company would remain comfortable throughout the night. In the morning, he would retrieve the crystal he sought, then return to Asgard and tend to the woman.  
Loki slipped under the furs beside the woman and watched her as she slept, her mouth open the breathe, for her nose was too congested to breathe through. Loki furrowed his eyebrows.

"What are you doing here?" he asked out loud, knowing he would not receive an answer.

Loki sighed and laid down. As soon as he did, she rolled over curled into his side. Loki jumped and raised his arms up, unsure of what was happening. When he saw her forehead pressed into his ribs, her now cold body seeking warmth, he sighed and timidly put an arm around her. He did not know how she ended up wounded in Jotunheim, but it had been too long since he had seen her, and he was determined not to let the woman slip from his grasp again.


	2. Once a Hero

The next morning, Loki awoke early and prepared to finish his quest. Outside, the storm settled, and new fallen snow lay thickly over Jotunheim. Loki dressed himself, then fed his steed before brewing another pot of healing tea. The woman was still asleep under the furs, and she seemed to be resting more peacefully. Loki felt her cheeks and forehead, trying to detect a high temperature. However, the fever had broken. He was relieved, but it would soon return if he did not get her proper treatment in Asgard. As much as he hated it, he would have to return this night, crystal or not.  
Loki woke the sleeping woman and made her drink the tea, which was laced with a sleeping draught to help her heal. Her organs needed rest and time to heal, especially before enduring the dizzying trip to the Bifrost.  
Loki gently shook the woman awake and helped her sit up.

"Where am I?" she croaked.

"Nevermind," Loki replied, "Just drink."

She sipped most of the tea from the ladle before the draught kicked in and she fell unconscious again. Loki tucked her back into the warmth of the furs, then placed enchantments over her and the cave so she would remain safe while he was absent. Once the charms and spells were in place, Loki took his horse and set out into the snowy mountains of Jotunheim one more time.

***

_"Bring her in here. Quickly," Frigga, Queen of Asgard, spoke urgently to the guards._

The guards brought forth a limp shaking body of a young woman, no more than 16 years old. Nurses surrounded the queen and the young woman, who had been placed on a bed, a young prince watching nervously nearby.

"My Lady, I fear she will not make it. Her body is much too weak," one maiden said.

Frigga shook her head.

"There is always a way," she said.

"But she is no more than a mortal," the nurse argued.

Frigga held up a hand to silence the younger woman.

"Enough. I want all of you out of this room. Immediately," she ordered.

The nurses exchanged unsure glances before turning away and exiting the room.

"Except you, my son," Frigga spoke up.

The young man halted and turned to his mother.

"Come here, Loki," she said gently.

Loki stepped towards the bed and the wounded woman.

"What do you sense, Loki?" she asked, holding the woman's hand.

Loki squinted as he looked down at her.

"Death," he replied.

Frigga nodded.

"But, what else?" she pushed on.

Loki was confused. Frigga gestured for Loki to raise his hand. The young prince obeyed and let his mother place his hand on the woman's chest. He felt a jolt of energy course up his arm. His eyes widened, and he looked fearfully to his mother.

"Do you feel that?" she asked.

Loki nodded.

"That is magic," he replied.

Frigga smiled and nodded.

"Is she like you, Mother?" he asked.

Frigga nodded and ran a hand over a bleeding wound, stopping the bleeding and sealing it.

"In most ways," she replied.

Loki swallowed. He looked down at the dying woman and felt a strange urge. This young woman was like his mother, having an affinity for magic. In being like his mother, she was also like him. He felt a connection to her, and he suddenly did not want her to die.

"Can you help her, Mother? Can we save her?" he asked.

Frigga smiled warmly at her son.

"Yes, but this magic is not magic I would recommend you using, Loki. Your father will not be too fond of what I am going to do, but it is our only chance in saving her life."

Loki nodded. Frigga began the ritual on the girl, using spells frowned upon in Asgard, healing the young woman and keeping her alive. Loki watched in awe as his mother recited words in an ancient language, only some of which he could understand.  
When the ritual was complete, the woman was moved to empty guest chambers to rest and heal.

"Loki," Frigga said as she set a goblet and pitcher of water beside the bed.

"Yes, Mother?" Loki asked.

Frigga sat on the edge of the bed and wiped a cool, wet cloth across the woman's forehead.

"I would have not done what I did, had I not sensed that this soul was destined for great things. You cannot change fate, my son. Performing a ritual to turn a mortal immortal is forbidden. However, I cannot let someone with this special gift die so soon in life," she explained.

Loki nodded understandingly.

"What will become of her?" he asked.

Frigga sighed.

"That is for the universe to decide. For now, she is a guest here. We will decide later if she should return to Midgard, or wait until a safer time. Living in new lands of judgement is not a life for a young woman. Being of magic is no sin, but to be so cruel and burn a witch is."

Loki nodded.

"So Thor was right to bring her here?" he inquired.

Frigga nodded and wiped the woman's cheek.

"He felt the need to save her too," she said.

She then turned and smiled at her son.

"She may make a loyal companion for you. A friend to go to when Thor is away," she said.

Loki would not let his mother see it, but he was intrigued. Another magical person his age, who may or may not understand him better than Thor? This woman did not know Loki. How mischievous he was. How his father treated him like a step-son. How he was thrown into the shadow of his older brother. How, though thought of as a prince, he was an outcast. She knew none of that, and though Loki would rather spend time on his own, he quickly became accustomed to the idea of having another person to perform magic with. Especially someone with different skills.

"I suppose, as long as she is a guest, she would need company," Loki surmised.

Frigga smiled and nodded. She stood and placed the now warm cloth on the side table.

"We will let her rest now. I will have servants tending to her and guards protecting these chambers. Loki, I would like you to see to it that her needs are met. See that her food is coming regularly, acquaint yourself. Make sure she is comfortable," she said.

Loki looked from the woman to his mother.

"What of my duties?" he asked.

"I will see they are completed. Come. Leave her to rest. In the morning, we will return to see if she is well," Frigga replied.

Loki bowed his head, then the two strode across the room, where a guard opened the chamber doors and allowed the two to exit before he closed the doors behind him.

The next morning, Frigga and Loki returned to the woman's chambers. As the doors opened, Thor came running over, his footsteps heard throughout the palace.

"How is she?" Thor asked, "Did she suffer?"

"She is well, Thor. Loki and I are seeing that she is tended to. Please go join the others for breakfast," Frigga said.

Thor bowed respectfully and turned away, leaving Frigga and Loki to the chambers. Upon entering, a servant was leaving with a half-empty tray of breakfast. Loki noticed this, and when he looked to the woman in the bed, he nearly jumped in surprise. The previous night, she had been a pale, bleeding, and decrepit mess. She had been horribly malnourished, and Frigga noticed marks of torture on her torso. She did not tell Loki, however. Now, she looked reborn. Her skin was clear and the color of health. Her hair was full of body and shined in the firelight. Her eyes even shined, a shade of sea foam blue. Loki was stunned.

"Good morning," Frigga said softly, "Did you sleep well?"

The woman was clearly confused.

"Where am I?" she asked.

Frigga sat beside her on the bed. Loki timidly approached.

"You are in Asgard, dear," Frigga replied.

She was still confused.

"I do not understand," she replied.

Frigga smiled kindly.

"Never mind that. What is your name?" she asked.

The woman took a nervous breath.

"A-Avery, ma'am. Avery Dupont," she replied.

Frigga nodded.

"Do you remember what happened before you woke?" Frigga asked.

Avery nodded.

"They were trying the witches. I was one of them. I would not renounce my life as a witch, and they burned me at the stake. All I remember was the fire crawling up the timber, then the lightning. Lightning unlike any I had ever seen! The villagers scrambled, as if they were suddenly disinterested in the burning. Then, all was a blur."

Frigga nodded.

"I will explain everything when you are well. For now, rest," she said.

Avery merely nodded.

"This is my son, Loki," Frigga introduced, gesturing to her son, "He will be watching out for you during your stay here."

Avery looked over at Loki and gave him a nervous smile. Loki politely bowed his head to her.

"I will leave you two now. Avery, dear, is there anything you need? Water, perhaps?" Frigga asked.

"I'm fine, thank-you," Avery replied.

Frigga nodded once and patted Avery's arm. She then stood and walked gracefully out of the room, leaving Avery and Loki alone.

"Are there many witches on Midgard?" Loki asked curiously.

Avery squinted.

"What's Midgard?" she inquired.

Loki cleared his throat and pulled up a chair to sit beside her.

"I mean, where you are from?" he elaborated.

"Oh! Um, some, I suppose. We try to stay hidden. Most are from the European countries," she explained.

"And you are not from there?" Loki asked.

Avery shook her head.

"My family and I currently live in the colonies," she replied.

Loki was not sure what she meant, but he would research it later.

"Where did you learn your magic? Books?" Loki asked.

Avery shook her head.

"I have always been able to perform magic. Mother said it was a gift, but the villagers…they thought it a sin. Witches were evil in their eyes."

Loki smiled.

"You don't seem so scary," he pointed out.

Avery smiled, too tired to laugh.

"I am not evil," she said.

Loki let out small laugh.

"I should think not," he said.

Avery smiled. She and Loki were silent for a brief moment, before Loki spoke up.

"I can do magic, too," he said.

Avery looked intrigued.

"Is your family of magic?" she asked.

Loki held a palm up and focused on it, trying to perform a simple spell and have the result manifest on his hand.

"Each member of my family has different affinities. Mother has the gift of magic. Mine is just learned," he said.

Suddenly, a glowing orb of blue light appeared floating and following his palm. Avery gasped. She had never seen such magic.

"Wow," she breathed out, "That is beautiful."

Loki smiled and closed his hand, the orb disappearing.

"Magic is prized here in Asgard. There is no need to harm a being with such a gift," Loki said, "You are quite lucky my brother brought you here."

Avery was confused.

"Your brother?" she asked.

"Thor," he said, "The lightning you saw was him. He considers himself a protector of Mid—Earth. He and his warriors help calm the battles that wage there."

Avery nodded understandingly.

"Well, could you thank him for me?" she asked.

Loki smiled.

"I will," he agreed.

Avery smiled at him.

"You are very kind, Loki," she said.

Loki felt a warmth spread through him. He had not heard a phrase like that spoken to him since he was a child.

"As are you, my lady," he said.

He bowed to Avery and stood from his seat, nudging the chair back to its corner.

"You can just call me Avery if you would like. 'My lady' just sounds too formal," she said.

Loki just smiled.

"I was only trying to be polite," he said.

Avery was at a loss for words.

"Well, um, thank-you," she said.

"You're welcome. I would like to chat with you longer, but I have duties to attend to. I will return later. Perhaps we could get to know each other a little better?"

Avery nodded.

"Of course," she said.

Loki nodded.

"Would you like some books to entertain yourself with until my return?" he asked.

"Yes, please," Avery replied.

"I will send a servant after some novels from Father's library. I will see you soon, Avery," he said.

"It was nice speaking with you, Loki," she said.

Loki bowed.

"And you, as well. Rest now. I will see to it that you get your books and my brother receives your thanks," he said.

Avery smiled. With that Loki was out the door.

***

During the few days that Avery recuperated, Loki visited her frequently. Occasionally, he was accompanied by Frigga, who would come with books to help explain what had happened to Avery and where she was. It took several attempts, but slowly, Avery understood. She was in Asgard, Midgard was Earth, and she was now immortal. Frigga explained that the spell to give her immortality was the only way to save her life, but that did not mean she could never die—just not as easily as a human. Loki assured her it would take some time to grow accustomed to her new, elongated life, but he assured her that she would not hate it. Soon, Avery grew to like it.  
Avery spent the following years in Asgard, visiting Midgard every several years, and becoming very close friends with Loki, friends with Thor and his friends, and to love Frigga as if she were her own mother. She learned the magic that Loki had been taught, how to battle by Thor and Lady Sif, cracked jokes with Voltstagg, Fandral, and Hogun, but spent the majority of her time alongside Loki. Frigga had been correct about the two becoming close, and their relationship helped Loki through some of his harder times, when coronation for the next king was near, and Asgard's attention was on the great and powerful Thor Odinson, leaving Loki in the shadows.  
Loki and Avery sat upon a cliffside, overlooking the ocean.

"I don't understand what's so special about Thor," Loki spat.

"He is the firstborn," Avery pointed out, "Everyone loves the firstborn."

"But he's a clumsy idiot! He's been spoiled by Father and he'll surely rule with that attitude."

Avery glanced over at her friend.

"They always overlook the smart ones. It's in literature. It's reality. You have to hand it to Thor, though. He is very personable. Friendly. Caring," she said.

"Am I not caring?" Loki asked.

"To those close to you, yes. Thor is just more extroverted," she said.

"Being an extrovert is no prerequisite for being a great ruler," Loki argued.

Avery took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking. Loki was unreasonable when it came to Thor.

"That's not what I'm saying, Loki. All I meant was that on the outside, Thor has the perfect image as succeeder to the throne. That's what people will see and go by," she said.

"Image is not everything!" Loki growled, "Once they see how foolish he is—"

"You will get your chance to prove yourself. Whether you're doing it from the throne or on a battlefield, you will get your chance. Image may not be everything, but patience is."

Loki looked over at Avery. A small smile appeared on his face.

"You're very wise for only being 336 years old," he teased.

Avery smiled and playfully nudged him. Loki grinned and grabbed her, resulting in an immature play-fight in the grass.

"Now who are the clumsy idiots?" Avery giggled.

She fell to Loki's side and watched the clouds race across the sky. Loki rolled onto his stomach and looked down at Avery.

"I have a confession," he announced.

Avery tilted her head to the side, interested.

"These passed few years would have been very difficult for me without you. You know my deepest secrets," he said, almost shyly.

Avery looked surprised at him.

"What are you saying, Loki?" she asked.

Loki looked shamefully away.

"It's childish."

"Tell me anyway," Avery demanded, pushing herself up.

Loki sat up with her.

"You must know, Avery, that you are a very special woman. You're special to me. Had Thor not brought you here…" Loki trailed off.

Avery moved to make eye contact with him.

"How is that childish?" she asked.

Loki looked ashamed. He feared he had offended her.

"Look at me, Loki," she said.

Loki timidly met her eyes.

"You are special to me, too. You are my greatest friend. I could not ask for a better one," she said.

Loki smiled and hugged Avery tightly. Despite the anger he may feel towards his brother inheriting the throne, he knew Avery would be by his side to be there for him. Since the day they met, Avery adored Loki. She admired him, and thought highly of him. She defended him when he was bullied, or even the occasional quarrel. They were dear friends, and to tear them apart would mean war.

***

Clusters upon clusters of sharp crystalline points littered a cave of ice. Each point was the same. A jagged, spear-like piece of crystal, deep blue in color, with a bright green ring around the hole near the base. Each fully developed point had one. Others were small blue points, or shards of white that resembled quartz. Loki reached for the largest, most perfect point and broke it loose. She crystal shined, and Loki could feel its energy tingling through his hand. He clutched it and smirked. He could finally repair the palace and get out of Jotunheim.  
Loki placed the crystal in a pouch, then cast an enchantment over the cave, disguising it. He did not want anyone else founding his special crystals.  
After leaving the ice cave, he returned to his and prepared to leave. The woman sleeping in the furs roused at the sound of Loki packing his saddlebags.

"Where am I?" she mumbled, her words slurring.

Loki rushed to her side. She was trying to sit up, but he gently guided her back down.

"Shh," he said, "You're safe. Just stay quiet."

She looked around nervously.

"Got back to sleep," he said softly.

She obeyed. Loki scooped her up and placed her on the horse. He followed suit and held her securely to him as he rode out of the cave.

"When you're ready, Heimdall," Loki spoke.

Suddenly, he, his horse, and the rescued woman were sent skyward to the safety of the Observatory. Heimdall, the gate keeper, and several of Loki's guards were waiting.

"Seems as if you found more than just a crystal, my King," Heimdall said thoughtfully.

Loki paid him no attention as he looked down at the woman.

"_Much more_," Loki thought.

He looked up to the guards.

"This woman needs urgent medical attention. Please alert the nurses," he said.

The guards bowed and fled back to the palace.

"If I am not mistaken," Heimdall's deep voice droned, "would that be the woman who was banished under Odin's rule?"

Loki set his jaw. _Banished_.

"Indeed," Loki replied, "But Odin no longer rules, and as King, I claim her banishment terminated."

Heimdall's lips twitched with a smile, but he did not allow himself to do so.

"I agree that her banishment was uncalled for. I am pleased you are reunited. That you no longer suffer," the gate keeper spoke.

Loki snorted.

"I did not suffer!" he snapped.

Heimdall shrugged. Loki took calming breaths. He was an expert in the art of lying, but he could not get a story passed Heimdall.

"Did she not cross under your eye?" Loki asked.

"She did not appear to me until you found her, my King," he replied.

Loki nodded.

"Keep a keen eye on Jotunheim, Heimdall," he said.

Heimdall bowed his head before turning to face the stars beyond Asgard. Loki tightened his arm around the woman in his lap and nudged his horse into a full gallop across the Bifrost and into the kingdom.  
He was met at the palace doors with several servants and nurses waiting with a stretcher. He dismounted and placed the woman in the stretcher.

"Take the horse to the stables," he said to a servant, "See that he is groomed, fed well, and has plenty of water."

The servant bowed and set to work. Loki then walked with the nurses inside the palace and to the infirmary. He supervised closely as they placed the woman on a golden platform and performed a check of her vitals, numbers and shapes of golden light surrounding her.

"She's been purified twice and I provided her a sleeping draught to help her heal," Loki spoke up.

"It was good that you did, Majesty," said the head nurse, "The infection is still in her system, but we can remove it."

Loki nodded.

"Will she fully recover?" he asked, trying to mask his worry.

The nurse nodded. Loki sighed in relief and watched as they pulled the infection from the woman and destroyed it. After the procedure, they took the woman to a chamber left open for guests. Loki followed closely, not letting her out of his sight.

"She must rest now," a nurse told him.

"I'm staying with her," he said strictly.

She sighed and left the King with the patient. Soon, he was left alone.

***

My head felt swollen and ready to crack and split open, releasing the pressure in my head. I struggled to open my eyes. When the light entered my eyes, I groaned in agony. God, why did my head hurt so much? Why do I feel like I got hit by a truck? I didn't drink, so it wasn't a hangover. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to fight away the pain, but even closing them made the veins in my temples pound. I pressed the bottoms of my palms to my head and doubled over.

"Shh," someone beside me said.

"God, it hurts!" I cried.

"I know. Be still," a voice, deep and smooth, spoke.

I felt an ice cold cloth touch my forehead. I involuntarily moaned in relief. The person who spoke pressed the cloth to my forehead, then wiped my face and re-dipped it in ice water before holding it at my neck.

"Better?" the person asked.

I exhaled.

"Yes," I replied.

I opened my eyes, no longer sensitive to the warm lighting of the room. My eyes wheeled around and connected with a man looming over me. He had long, black as night hair, combed back to reveal his high forehead, sharp blue eyes, and high cheekbones. He was wearing clothing not like what I was used to seeing, but it wasn't like I hadn't seen a similar outfit before. It was the smile that gave him away.

"Loki?" I asked.

He grinned.

"Hello, Avery," he said gently.

It took me maybe five seconds before I narrowed my eyes. Loki looked fearful.

"Get your hands off of me!" I growled.

He obeyed and eyed me accusingly.

"Is that any way to speak to someone who has saved your life?" he playfully scolded.

I was in no mood for his joking. This man had done nothing but the wickedest. He killed thousands of innocent people, destroyed part of New York City. He killed _my_ people. How dare he think he could rule over the people Earth? He was not the same Loki I knew. The same Loki I trusted. Who could produce the most powerful of spells, weave the most intricate lies, and cast the most incredible of illusions. He taught me everything I knew, and we had been there for each other since Frigga saved my life. Had our friendship and trust in one another been a mere illusion? He knew Midgard meant something to me. It was my home! Why would he try to rule over it and destroy everything and everyone?  
I summoned a green flame and blasted it right in Loki's face. Loki jumped, but successful countered it and shot it right into the fireplace, extinguishing the fire. He looked down at me in shock.

"You should be in prison," I growled at him as I began to stand.

"I served for the crimes I committed," he said smoothly.

"You attempted to destroy my home! The first time I see you in years and it's on TV with you and your army destroying New York! Dammit, Loki! Don't you even think?" I shouted at him.

"I cannot stand here and tell you that I don't regret my actions," he said calmly, while I began to lose my temper.

"Why would you do that? For power?" I snapped.

Loki looked slightly ashamed.

"Exactly," he replied.

I screamed and dove for him, smashing him against the wall. The wall shuddered and Loki winced in pain.

"You betrayed me, Loki," I said.

Loki's blue eyes went wide and soft.

"You promised me you would never hurt me, yet you go cause hell on Earth. Did you not think I wouldn't be hurt by that?"

Loki sighed.

"I thought about it every day I was imprisoned," he said.

I grabbed his leather collar and angrily slammed him into the wall again.

"I don't blame you if you hate me, but I served my time, Avery. I fought with Thor in the most recent battle with the Dark Elves to save Asgard. I nearly died in that battle. I barely got out with my life and Thor's. Now, Odin has crowned me king for my honorable sacrifices. I have been redeemed."

I snarled.

"You did that to finally rule!" I shouted accusingly.

In one swift motion, Loki grabbed my wrists and held both firmly between his hands.

"That was not in the plans. I assure you," he said.

"Liar!" I spat.

Loki switched my wrists to one hand and took my chin in between his fingers.

"Have I ever mislead you?" he asked, angry with me.

I let out a shallow breath, then shook my head.

"And I am not now," he said.

I swallowed hard.

"How can I trust you?" I whispered.

Loki looked sadly upon me.

"I would not blame you if you never had faith in me again," he said.

I looked down and away from him. Loki and I had been best friends for years. He had never once fooled me, and used his talents only to teach me and make me laugh. I never in a million years thought he had snap and reek havoc on my home.

"You don't have to, but please forgive me, Ave," he said softly.

Loki kissed my forehead, and I broke down. He let go of my wrists, and I proceeded to slam my fists against his chest. I felt torn between hating the man I saw on TV and my best friend.

"You piece of shit," I said through tears, then hugged him, "I fucking missed you."

Loki held me tightly. I could feel his nose press into my hair.

"I've missed you dearly," he said quietly.

I laid my head on his shoulder. Loki wiped my cheeks.

"I see your language remains to be pure filth," he teased.

"Shut up," I grumbled.

Loki chuckled. My head began to pound again. I groaned and pressed my forehead to his chest.  
"God!" I graoned, "What happened to me?"

Loki took hold of my shoulders with his long, slender fingers.

"Come. Lie down and rest. Your body needs time to recover," he said.

Loki led me back to the bed and helped me lay back down. He raised the fire in the fireplace again, bringing heat and more light to the chamber. He then sat with me and held the icy cloth to my forehead.

"Would you like me to retrieve a sleeping draught?" he asked.

"No," I replied sleepily.

"What in the Nine Realms were you doing in Jotunheim?" Loki asked, "You are lucky I found you."

"I don't know," I whispered, "One minute I was hiking through the woods, the next, I was face down in the snow in the middle of a bunch of Frost Giants."

Loki was immediately alarmed.

"That's not possible," he said.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, Loki," I said.

Loki chuckled and wiped my face.

"I'll investigate it. Rest now, Avery," he said, standing.

He placed the cloth on the table, then with a swipe of his hand across the room, lowered the flames in the torches illuminating the room.

"There are facilities en suite. If you need anything, just call for a guard. They are standing outside your doors," he said.

I nodded.

"Loki?" I asked.

"Yes, Avery?"

I watched him for a moment. I didn't detect any darkness on him. His energy felt like the same old Loki to me.

"Thank-you," I said quietly.

Loki smiled and leaned down to hug me.

"I will try to make everything up to you," he whispered.

I gave him a small squeeze before letting go.

"Sleep well, Avery," he said.

"You, too."

With that Loki checked the side table to make sure I had everything before leaving me. I was asleep before he was out the door.

***

Loki strode out of Avery's room, anger towards the Frost Giants boiling in his veins. How dare they hurt her? And what's more, there was a portal on Midgard for anyone to slip in. The question was, how and why was it there?

"Guard!" Loki called.

A guard jogged up to the King, bowing before speaking.

"Yes, my King?" he asked.

"Have a messenger send for my brother. Have them tell Thor that he must return to Asgard immediately. It's an emergency," Loki replied.

The guard bowed.

"Right away, sire."

Loki then stormed to his chambers. If he had wanted to commit genocide on any realm, Jotunheim would be it.


	3. Heart

_"You seem worried, my dear," Frigga said, her soft voice echoing off the high ceiling of the balcony._

Odin, King of Asgard, turned to his his wife approaching.

"I do not worry," he said, masking his uncertainty.

"If it is Thor you fret for, I would fear not," Frigga said as she stood beside the All Father, "He is in good company. If he fails, one of another will rescue him. Loki is right by his side."

"They know not of what they are up against!" Odin spat, "This is not practice for war!"

"My dear King, you must keep faith in them. Two of them are our sons. They have learned all they know from you and I."

The Queen place a hand on Odin's forearm in an attempt to soothe him.

"They will want to end the fight hastily and be home. Avery is returning this night," she went on.

Odin growled.

"So the next battle, Loki will have his head in the clouds and get himself or another killed?" he snapped.

Frigga scoffed as Odin turned and marched away.

"She has been nothing but a godsend for Loki! If it is courting you fear, you know both are far too shy. They will not make a stupid mistake," she argued.

"Was one not enough to bring into this family?" Odin asked.

Frigga looked offended.

"I love her as my own, but there was no adoption. She knows she's a visitor who is always welcome. I would not lie to her,"

Odin halted and spun around to his wife. Would she dare spill the secret he had been harboring to their youngest son?

"He is our son," Odin said, "and I still have intentions of uniting with Jotunheim and bringing peace with the Frost Giants once and for all. Loki should never be informed of his origins."

"I do not intend on telling a soul, my King. I love Loki just as much as Thor—even Avery. They are closely bonded. Loki cares for her and loves her, and it is not outlandish he would worry. He would not let his thoughts stray and compromise a successful battle. She is far from a negative influence. Why do you feel such contempt?"

Odin snorted.

"I will discuss this no further," he said with a flourish of his hand.

In the distance, a beam of light shot down to the Observatory, noting the arrival of either their warriors, or Avery returning from her long vacation to Earth. Frigga smiled at the distraction.

"On the contrary, my dear," she said, her words going unheard by the king.

***

"Avery, darling!"

I smiled and ran up to Frigga, then, remembering where I was, I slowed and walked up calmly to her open arms.

"Hi!" I said cheerfully.

Frigga hugged me with gently arms. We were standing in the large, open foyer of the palace. The area was quiet, but warm with a gentle breeze seeming to come from nowhere.

"We have missed you, Avery. How was your stay on Midgard?" she asked.

I smiled.

"Oh, it was…eventful," I said.

Frigga smiled.

"Well, I'm sure you want to settle in. The boys have gone a mission for Odin, but I expect them home soon. In fact…"

Down the hall, I heard the booming voice of Volstagg, followed by Thor's laugh.

"I could have had him!" the feminine voice of Sif echoed.

I smirked.

"That would be them. Your chambers have been prepared. I will have a servant take your things for you," she said.

I smiled at Frigga.

"Thank-you," I said.

Frigga returned the smile.

"Run along, dear. They're heading outside," she said.

I thanked her once more before leaving my bags with a servant and chasing after my friends. It had been quite a long time for since I had seen Thor and Loki, Sif, and the Warrior's Three, as Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun were calling themselves. Every few years, I would vacation to Earth just to see how things have changed. Sometimes I would return within two years or so. This last time had been three. However, I missed Asgard every day. I knew the next time, it may only be one.

"I must agree," I heard Fandral speak, his voice echoing throughout the gardens they were strolling through, "That was not a favorable move, Loki."

I walked out of an archway and into the garden, keeping my distance as I listened to them.

"It was not intended to be unfavorable," Loki replied, his voice smooth and slightly deeper than I remembered.

Even from a distance, I could tell that they all had matured while I had been gone. Thor was a lot bigger, and his blonde hair was significantly longer. Sif's was also a bit longer. Fandral had a new do, and Volstagg—-well, he still looked like a big Viking with long, wavy red hair and matching beard. Loki was sporting his hair combed back, but it suited him. An adult style for an aspiring king.

"It was a mere accident. A slip of the hand," Thor said in his brother's defense.

"Please!" Sif argued, "Daggers are one thing when you know how to use them. What I do not understand is why you insisted upon attacking him when I was right behind him!"

"I was only trying to help," Loki replied.

Sif snorted.

"Leave your magic out of battle," she said coldly.

I moved closer.

"My magic helped save your life!" Loki bit back.

I moved my feet faster.

"Why don't we head to the dining hall and share our victory with everyone?" Thor stepped in before things could get hairy.

Sif angrily approached Loki. I quickly cast a stealth charm over myself as to not be seen.

"You ruined a perfect kill!" she cried.

"Is that all you care about is killing?" Loki snapped.

"Brother! Sif!" Thor laughed nervously.

I moved behind Loki.

"I care about winning a battle for Asgard. Not showing off!" she argued.

"I was not!" Loki snapped, "It was a spell that accidentally ricocheted across a boulder."

"That could have hit me!" she snarled, "What happened to your oh-so-fabulous precision?"

"Like you're so perfect!" he snapped.

"We all have our faults," Thor spoke up, "Now—"

"At least I can aim!"

I closed my eyes and focused on every inch of my body, then used a spell of transportation that Loki had taught me, teleporting myself from behind Loki, to between him and Sif and showing myself.

"I've heard just about enough," I stated, staring at Sif with my hands on my hips.

Really, I was in no position to talk down to her, nor anyone in Asgard. I was a guest, and anyone could easily tell me that I had worn out my welcome, so being so bold as to scold the Goddess of War was asking for it. However, I could not keep myself from defending Loki. He was my best friend, and no one messes with him without me getting in the middle of it. However, there was a time Thor had accidentally teased her to the point of tears, and I tried to be there for her. She had thanked me for my consideration, and when I told Thor, he made amends with his friend. She had changed since then, though.  
Sif blinked at me, disbelieving what she saw and cleared her throat.

"Uh, um, A-Avery," she stammered.

"Avery!" Thor said cheerfully.

The thunder god cheerfully tossed a heavy arm over my shoulders.

"It's so good to see you! It's been far too long," he said.

I smiled at him, but I felt Loki tense up from behind me. I discreetly reached an arm behind my back and held out my hand. Loki took it.

"It has," I agreed.

I turned back to Sif.

"If Loki claims it was an accident, it was an accident. Now, I don't know what happened, and I'm truly sorry if anyone was hurt," I began.

"All are well, Avery. No worries," Thor assured me.

"Good," I replied, "I just don't appreciate you insulting Loki."

"But," Sif began to argue.

"I don't appreciate anyone arguing," I said, looking to Loki over my shoulder.

Loki kept his head down.

"You were not there, Avery," Sif argued.

"Does that really matter?" I asked, "I don't appreciate your attitude, and if you talk down on Loki again, you will be taking it up with me."

Sif gritted her teeth.

"Fine," she said, then turned sharply on her heel and marched off.

Thor looked from Sif to Loki and I.

"I will speak with her. Sif may be angry, but she is reasonable," he said.

I nodded.

"We will meet later and have fun. For now, we will leave you two. Come, friends," he said to the remaining warriors.

The Warrior's Three smiled at me and patted me on the shoulder before following Thor back towards the palace. It was then I turned to Loki. He was looking after them.

"She could have had your jugular severed in a split second," he warned me.

I smiled up at him.

"I'm not scared of her," I said.

Loki smiled.

"Thank-you," he said quietly.

I reached up and hugged him.

"You're welcome," I replied.

Loki gave me a light squeeze before releasing me.

"It has indeed been far too long. I've missed you, Ave," he confessed.

I grinned and tried to hide my blush.

"I've missed you too, Loki," I admitted.

Loki hugged me again.

"Will it be short before you venture off again?" he asked curiously.

I smiled at him.

"I'm not leaving for a long time," I said.

Loki seemed pleased with that. I reached up and touched his cheek. He had bags under his eyes, and his eyelids were heavy.

"Let's go in so you can rest. You look exhausted."

"I am," he agreed.

I smirked and tugged his arm.

"Let's go in. We have catching up to do," I said.

Loki eagerly followed me inside and we disappeared to his chambers. His chambers were much more luxurious than mine, but by Midgardian standards, mine outdid most five star hotels. Loki's, and I imagine the rest of the family's, chamber was over the top. His floors were dark marble, with gold columns towering into the gold ceiling. Scones and a massive chandelier illuminated the space. He had a large, tall four poster bed with green and black sheets made of Asgard's finest satin. A fireplace sat on the far side of the room near the door to his bathroom, which was back to back with Thor's. He had bookshelves next to the fireplace, stocked to the brim with his favorite books. I read one while Loki bathed.

"Did you have fun on Midgard?" he asked, walking out of the bathroom in a robe as he towel-dried his shiny black hair.

"I was very entertained, if that's what you mean. It still isn't a good time to live there. Too many wars. Idiots left and right. No order," I replied.

Loki smirked and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Sounds like they need to be ruled like we are on Asgard," he said.

I cut my eyes towards the bathroom.

"Monarchies do not go over well there. As an American, I prefer democracy," I replied, my eyes looking over a very detailed illustration of Valhalla.

Loki returned from the bathroom, now wearing a green tunic and black pants. His feet remained bare. He strode over to the bed where I was perched. He jumped in it and rolled next to me.

"Maybe that's what we need here. That way the people of Asgard will know they have a choice between brawn and brains," he said bitterly, referring to the impending coronation ceremony, where Odin would announce the would-be king.

I playfully nudged Loki's shoulder and shut the book.

"Would you let it go? You're going to make yourself a bitter old man one day," I teased.

Loki snorted.

"Rubbish."

I leaned down to his ear.

"Then, be happy," I said softly.

Loki smirked at me and gently pushed me over.

"I am happy. Now that you've returned," he said.

I crawled onto my belly beside him. Loki pulled the book I was reading towards him and hugged his arm.

"Sounds like you needed me," I said.

Loki stiffened. I looked up warily to see his eyebrows furrowed in thought and pain written across his features.

"I did," he replied cooly.

I sighed and rested my cheek on his shoulder.

"Why didn't you come find me if I was needed?" I asked.

"I wasn't going to ruin your vacation. Sometimes, especially on days like this, I would need an outside friend to talk to. That was all," he replied.

"Vacations mean nothing when friendship is involved," I told him.

Loki sighed and closed the book with a soft snap of the cover. I hugged his arm tighter.

"Maybe we both need a vacation," I murmured.

Loki chuckled.

"If only I could leave. Any second, Thor will have waged another battle and have me by the arm. I can only imagine why. My magic doesn't belong on the battlefield!"

"Stop it. You are just as powerful as they are. You don't need muscle for something as delicate as magic," I said.

Even though, just by feeling his arm as I hugged, it felt bigger.

"Do you make weakness of me, Ave?" he asked, a lighter tone in his words.

"Far from it," I replied.

Loki turned to me and smirked. That damn smirk.

"If I am not mistaken, it would seem as if you hold an incredibly high admiration for me," he said, his voice smoother than ever.

I snorted and rolled onto my back.

"Please!" I retorted.

"Am I wrong?" he asked.

I smirked at him. Since my last visit to Asgard, he had started in on this—teasing me every time I gave him a compliment. He was trying to trick me into say something. Something he wanted to hear, so he could laugh at me for it later. However, I knew Loki's tricks well, and it was he who taught me how to deceive and manipulate the mind. I could mask it, but my insides made it harder and hard with each passing year to ignore the fact that I was developing, what the Midgardians call, a crush. Dare I show the slightest interest in him, and I would hear about it for the rest of my life.  
I eyed him before looking up at the canopy above.

"Why is it that all men, whether human or god, need their ego hand fed?" I mused.

Loki snorted and rolled onto his side to face me.

"It is just nice to hear from someone I know without a doubt cares," he spoke, his playfulness out the window.

I frowned at him. I then rolled over to face him. Loki's eyes closed, his exhaustion finally taking over. I pulled him to me and lightly ran my fingers through his damp hair. Whatever he had been through during my absence, I was going to make sure he overcome. 

***

The Observatory spun, like the most complicated of clocks, and Thor appeared before Heimdall. When the gate keeper set his eyes upon him, his smile could not be contained.

"Does your armor suit you ill?" he asked.

Thor looked down at his clothing. A simple black t-shirt and a pair of jeans and tennis shoes. They quickly disappeared, his armor in place of his Midgardian dress.

"I was in too much of a hurry," Thor said, "What is this emergency?"

"It may have something to do with the king found in Jotunheim," Heimdall said.

Thor gritted his teeth, fearing the worst.

"Where is Loki?" he asked, demanding.

Heimdall refrained from smirking.

"The king is currently burning a track in the throne room floor," he said.

Thor nodded.

"Thank-you, good Heimdall," he said, then spun Mjolnir and flew off to the palace.

At the doors, he was greeted by guards before he stormed the palace, in search of the king. He found Loki indeed pacing the floor in front of the throne. Thor was surprised that the damage the Dark Elves had caused was still evident.

"Will this room remain in disrepair?" Thor asked.

Loki stopped dead and looked up at Thor.

"I have plans for repairs. What took you so long?" Loki asked, irritated.

Thor's eyebrows knitted together.

"I have only just arrived, brother," he replied, the dread "b-word" coming out automatically.

Loki glared at him darkly, but the matters at hand saved Thor from a thorough lecture.

"It is morning. I sent after you last night!" Loki said.

"You must believe me. I left as soon as I received word," Thor replied innocently.

Loki gritted his teeth. He find which messenger they used and he would fire him at once.

"What is this emergency?" Thor asked.

Loki looked from Thor to his guards.

"You are released from your duties for now. Go enjoy breakfast," he said to them.

They bowed and turned to leave. Once out of sight, Loki gestured for Thor to follow him. Thor quickly fell into step with the younger man, and they marched down the halls without a word. The silence was quickly broken by Thor.

"What is the meaning of this, Loki? Heimdall said you found something on your journey to Jotunheim," he said.

"I did," Loki confirmed.

"What were you doing there?" Thor asked.

"I _was_ searching for this," he replied.

Loki produced the crystal he had retrieved out of a hidden pocket within his armor.

"For repairing the palace? I'm sure you could have had all of the best architects within the Nine Realms fix it for you in no time. Why magic?" Thor asked.

Loki replaced the crystal.

"I just wanted to do it myself," he begrudgingly admitted to Thor.

He would not vocalize it, but Loki wanted to prove that magic did have its place.

"And had I not gone to Jotunheim, I would have had worse horrors to face," he said.

Loki looked away from Thor and swallowed hard. The thought of losing Avery made him want to vomit.

"What happened, brother?" Thor asked.

Loki gestured with a tilt of his head for Thor to follow him. They walked through the halls of the palace and up several staircases to the floor where Avery's chambers lay.

"Our dear Avery has returned," Loki spoke.

Thor halted and stared at Loki in shock.

"How?" he asked.

"I found her in Jotunheim, bleeding and dying from an attack by a few Frost Giants," Loki explained.

"How did she end up in Jotunheim?" Thor asked, concerned.

"I know not," Loki replied, "Yet had I not found searched for the crystal, she would be dead."

"What happened to her? Was she touched? I know of a salve to heal—"

"She was stabbed," Loki interrupted him, "by a blade riddled with disease. She is healing well, now, but I fear the Frost Giants are planning something."

"Disease?" Thor asked, "The Frost Giants are not known to use disease to fight."

"It could have been anything," Loki said.

Thor saw the worry in Loki's eyes, and he sympathized.

"Do you know of any portals on Midgard that create a wormhole to Jotunheim?" Loki asked.

Thor was befuddled by the sudden question.

"I would have tried to close it, had I known," he replied, "You don't think Avery fell through a portal?"

"That's how she explained it to me. I thought you may know, what with your mortal being of cosmic science."

"Jane has not spoken of any disturbances. Trust me. She knows the mere second something is awry," Thor replied.

Loki sighed heavily. Thor smiled knowingly at Loki.

"I will help you, brother. I know how vast your love is for her," he said.

Loki cut his eyes at the man he grew up with.

"I'm sure she was quite…_happy_ to see you after knowing of your crimes," Thor said sarcastically.

Loki's lip curled.

"She was upset, but I betrayed her. She no longer trusts me."

"I assure you, you will gain it again," Thor said confidently, "As you did mine."

Loki chewed the inside of his cheek. He did not like the sentiments being shared.

"Avery will come around, and when she does, she will be a great addition alongside us," he went on.

Loki did not reply.

"If you don't mind now, I would like to visit with Sif and the Warrior's Three. They may have some information. When Avery wakes, let her know that I would like to say hello."

Loki nodded.

"I will see to it that you have a chance to speak with her," he said.

Thor smiled, then timidly bowed to Loki before vanishing to find his friends. Loki then turned on his heel and disappeared.

***  
It took me several hours before I finally settled and went to sleep. I laid awake, staring at the ancient gold ceiling as I had done so many times during my stays in Asgard. The ceiling was like that of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on Midgard. However, the murals in this grand palace consisted of Gods and Goddess from before Odin's time, to the present day. Some of which I recognized, for in Wiccan culture, we chose Gods and Goddesses to worship from Nordic, Greek, and Roman religions. The Midgardians had previously called in mythology, until Thor arrived.  
I had walked out onto the balcony that overlooked the most beautiful kingdom in the Nine Realms. Natural light from fire and magic illuminated the vast land, and the country, mountains, and ocean was illuminated softly by the most beautiful of stars. Clouds lightly floated below the two visible planets that faintly hovered above like a Midgardian full moon. It was such a vast change from my previous living arrangements, and I could not believe how lucky I was to be standing on the balcony—alive.  
I closed my eyes as I thought about Earth. Living in shady neighborhoods where you have to walk with a stick or a pocket knife. Oh, I remembered it all vividly, and the horrors I faced there would never be shaken. I remembered falling down to Earth, right in the middle of a sketchy part of Los Angeles, California. I remembered running for my life. I remembered the comments men slung at me, their spit, the beatings and other forms of physical abuse. Abusing myself in depression and to make a living. I remember one night I was walking to my apartment, and noticed some men following me. It was quite the walk to my apartment building, so I hailed a cab. I walked to and from work, which was a shit waitressing job, every day. I had gotten off late, and made the mistake of not asking someone for a ride. I was turning a corner when I noticed a few men in my footsteps. I quickly hailed a cab and rode home. Right as I stepped out and paid the cab driver, the men grabbed me, kidnapped me, and I was missing from the world for a year. They kept me locked away in a room in their shabby home in the trashiest part of Los Angeles. They beat me. Used me. I remember lying on the floor, dreaming that Thor or Loki would rescue me.  
When I was finally, free I moved to the country and got a decent job at a mom and pop store. I had my life together for two years before "falling down the rabbit hole" and landing on Jotunheim. Perhaps being attacked by the Frost Giants was a blessing. I still remembered all that pain. The hurt from being torn from Asgard. The suffering I went through in Los Angeles. The hurt I felt when I heard it was Loki how was causing the terrorist attacks. I could not swallow that I was back, everyone on loved on Asgard was okay, and Loki had finally taken over as ruler. How I wished he had found me a lot sooner.  
I sat in a sort of patio chair and curled up in it. How things work in these worlds. I dreamed of returning to Asgard. I dreamed of running into Loki on the street and being swept back home. Those nights I lay defiled on a cold, concrete floor, he would randomly appear from no where, as he was so famous for, and hold me as I cried. I knew he would have never treated me like that, nor would any man on Asgard. Women were respected here. Rape was not in their vocabulary. Midgard may be my home, but I hated it with a passion.  
I rolled onto my side and relieved my tension by letting out a sob. How good it felt to be in a place where I was wanted. To be where I would be protected. Loved. It was a dream come true, and I resented Odin for banishing me and sending me to the life of the worthless on Midgard.

"Thank-you, Loki," I whispered.

I cried it out, feeling better with each pained cry. It felt so good to let it all out. When I went to bed, I slept like a rock.

The sun made my room shine, and I had forgotten how pleasant Asgardian mornings were. The sun did not shine in to my room to blind me, the smell of the outdoors floated throughout the room, as well as a soft, cool breeze. It was quite a change from Earth mornings, but they were missed all the same.  
I woke up feeling sore and weak, like I had a bad cold. My nose felt cruddy, my throat hurt, and I felt like my feet and hands were made out of lead. I decided to take a hot shower to relieve my pain and congestion, as well as clean myself.  
Once clean, I was drying myself when I noticed a pink scar on my side. I suddenly remembered the pain and sickening heat spread through me. Red eyes in my face, further confusing me and scaring me. I begged for death as I bled out in the snow. The infection overtook me, and I had no idea Loki had been there at all. I remembered nothing, and now here I was. Loki had saved my life. I owed him so much. It meant I still meant something to him. He was not the pure evil the television had claimed him to be.  
I dressed myself and walked out the door, only to be startled by a figure on my bed.

"Shit!" I hissed.

Loki slowly looked up at me and smirked.

"Good morning," he said lowly, grinning.

I swallowed hard as I looked over him. He had grown so much in the years on my banishment. His hair fell passed his shoulders, and though still the mischief maker he used to be, there was an intoxicating darkness set behind it. His eyes were soft and his smile was friendly as he looked at me, but there was still wicked residue he had yet to shake, and it seemed to become him. It added a new layer to him, but deep down, he was still a good soul who only wanted to make amends. Wipe out the overwhelming amount of red.

"You've always had that 'great entrance' thing down," I said.

Loki smiled and moved off of my bed.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

I watched him nervously as he approached.

"Erm, yeah," I replied.

I looked down and nervously scratched the back of my neck.

"You seem uneasy, Avery," he observed.

I timidly looked up at him, feeling cornered under his gaze. Loki leaned down and gently took my jaw with his fingertips and tilted my head up. I felt ashamed as I looked up.

"I will not hurt you," he said softly.

I bit my lip. Why did he always turn me into a weak, pathetic mess?

"I know," I whispered.

Loki sighed and pulled me into a hug.

"I will prove myself to you, Avery. The last thing I ever wanted was to scare you away," he said.

I clutched on to him.

"I have no fear of you. I don't know what to think or feel right now. Everything's been such a blur. To top it off, I think I have a cold."

Loki chuckled and pulled back.

"I'll have you a tonic made just for that. You will be well within hours," he said.

I smiled.

"Oh, Asgardian medicine," I said thoughtfully.

Loki grinned.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Come. You can join me for breakfast. I usually do not attend morning breakfast in the dining hall with the others," he said.

I tilted my head to the side. Loki exhaled softly, noting my confusion.

"I simply prefer the privacy. Come," he said.

Without another word, I allowed Loki to escort me out of my chambers and to his private balcony for breakfast. Loki walked up to a servant who had set a breakfast feast large enough for a family of eight on a circular table of marble. Oh, how I missed Asgardian food. Real meats and diary products, healthy, delicious fruits and vegetables, and different breads and sweets. Really any amazing delicacy you could ask for was on this table.  
Loki walked up to a chair and pulled it out for me. I smiled at the gentlemanly gesture and sat down.

"Thank-you," I said.

""You're very welcome," he replied as he took his seat across from me.

I had forgotten how mannerly the Asgardians were.

As we ate, I felt uncomfortable at first. However, Loki sensed my unease and began popping off things that had me laughing. I, in turn, popped off right back. It felt good to joke with him again. It was nice to see a genuine smile on his face. It lit up his features, most notably his eyes. Blue, like his brother's, though they were not related by blood. It didn't matter to me, but it pulled off the illusion—the lie. Occasionally, like most blue eyes, they turned to gray, or darkened to cerulean. Often, they would gloss over green. Sometimes they variant of colors were undistinguishable, but they never failed to keep my attention.

"Thor arrived this morning," Loki announced.

I nearly choked on my…donut thing. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was delicious. Loki shook his head and smiled at me.

"Always too much down the throat," he teased.

I swallowed and took a drink of my tea, which Loki had had my tonic for my cold symptoms hidden in. It was tasteless, thankfully. All I tasted was sweet, herbal tea with a tart berry flavor.

"What is Thor doing here?" I asked, ignoring his comment.

"I summoned him here," he replied, slicing into his food, "I fear the Jotuns are up to something, and with his connection on Earth, I thought he would be a useful asset."

I stabbed at a few pieces of potato and my eyes darted up to him.

"Don't you dare trick him, Loki," I warned him.

Loki froze, glaring at me with a clenched jaw before he set his knife down with an angry thud.

"You think me so low as to mislead Thor?" he questioned.

I looked down, feeling ashamed of myself once again. I didn't know who he was anymore. The trickster who loved his brother, or the demon who would betray him.  
Loki sighed.

"Your image of me really has been manipulated," he said.

I shyly glanced up at him before looking away. The hurt in his eyes killed me.

"Loki, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just…I guess…"

I couldn't think of a good excuse that wouldn't lead me to explain what happened to me on Earth, so I gave up. Loki watched me with sympathy in his eyes. He reached over and took my hand. My heart leapt into my throat and my breathing faltered. I closed my eyes and quickly cleared my thoughts. I was letting my feelings get the best of me. I was letting my weak side show, and I knew better.  
Loki watched me worriedly as I composed myself. I never hid things from him, as he never hid things from me. There were no illusions between us—no lies. He knew me better than anyone, and he could tell there was something wrong with me. I could feel that he could sense it, if that isn't completely confusing.

"I shouldn't have said that to you. I just…I'm so lucky and so blessed to still be alive, and then I just haul off and talk down to you. I mean, for one, you're a king and I should have a little bit more respect for you than that, and two, you mean to redeem yourself and I'm not even giving you the chance!"

Loki gave my hand a squeeze.

"I cannot blame you. From what you know and what you have seen, I cannot imagine the toll that has taken on your mind. But, Avery, it has been a long time since we've been able to talk," he said.

I nodded in agreement.

"Too long."

Loki gave me a small, sincere smile. At the door, a guard approached and bowed. Loki and I looked over to him.

"Sire, you are requested at the throne," he spoke.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Rude," I mumbled.

Loki smiled.

"Thank-you," he said to the guard.

He then turned back to me.

"They still think me a prince," he said, "They can wait until we're finished eating."

I laughed.

"They have no respect for their king," I said.

That made Loki's ego explode. I frowned.

"I guess I don't either," I said.

"Ave, I hereby declare you exempt from the niceties. You are my equal," he said.

I smiled and tried to hide my blush as I thanked him. He caught it immediately.

"Loki, don't keep them waiting. Go ahead and tend to your duties. I'll just find Thor and meet you later," I said with a shrug.

Loki wiped his mouth.

"I'm stuffed, anyway," I went on.

He smiled and stood, holding his hand for me to take. It was quite charming.

"The servants will clear the table. If you need me at all, do no hesitate to ask a guard. Even if I'm in an argument, I will excuse myself," he said.

"You don't have to-"

"No, no, Avery. None of that. As far as I'm concerned, you are my number one priority at the moment," he said.

That sickeningly sweet fuzzy feeling manifested in my chest and stomach.

"Besides," he said, then stepped up to me, "Aren't friends the most important?"

I gave him a shy smiled. Loki took my chin in his fingertips and softly kissed my forehead, sending an overwhelming amount of emotions of me.

"Guard," he commanded.

A guard from inside quickly ran up to us and bowed.

"Yes, my King?"

"Take Avery to Thor. She has permission to roam where she likes, and if she requests me when I am busy, do not deny her. Understood?" Loki said, power in his words.

The guard nodded once. The emotions did not cease. It had been so long since I had been treated with any ounce of respect from a man. From anyone! Loki and I, as teenagers into adulthood, had always teased and gave each other crap. We played like kids. To see him so matured, and to feel like I was important to him, it moved me. Scratch that. I _was_ important to him. Oddly, that was important to me.  
Loki turned to me and smiled as he bowed before spinning away to take his position on the throne.

"Thor is dining with the others in the dining hall, my lady," the guard said, "Do you wish to go now, or wait until they are finished with their meal?"

I watched Loki until he disappeared.

"Um, if it's the same to you, I've lived here since I was 16 years old. I think I can find my way on my own," I said, trying not to be rude.

"But, my lady, the king requested I escort you," he argued.

I waved a hand in front of my face, a white mist crossing his face.

"Guard my king, won't you?" I asked darkly.

He bowed.

"Yes, my lady," he said, then took off after Loki.

I smirked. This world forgets all I've done for Loki. Shielded him. Took swings for him. Anything to protect him, I did it. He was my best friend, and I loved him more than any other person in all of the Nine Realms. I would continue to see that he was looked after. He still had heart. Some part of him, though he may be a god, was human. For this wonderful king, I would make sure that heart kept beating.


	4. Your True Side

I stepped into the dining hall, seeing Thor and his friends from a mile away. They were surrounded in palace staff, Loki's warriors and guards, and family of the warriors. I was hoping to see Frigga as I entered, but I knew she must be with Odin. I wondered how many people in this room were loyal to Loki. How many believed him? How many hated him? I had a feeling, if these people knew I was loyal to Loki, would they hate me?  
Volstagg was the first to see me as I approached.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" he exclaimed happily.

The others turned to look at me.

"Avery," Fandral choked.

I smiled at them.

"Hey, guys," I said cheerfully.

Thor yanked me into a hug.

"Loki told me what happened to you. Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

I laughed.

"I'm much better now, Thor. Thank-you," I replied.

"I'm sure choking her to death does not help any, Thor," Fandral teased.

Thor just gave his friend a smile.

"We must talk, Avery. My friends, would you please excuse me?" Thor asked.

They nodded. Thor turned to me and smiled. He linked his arm with mine and politely escorted me out of the palace and to the gardens. It was quite pleasant today, as it was normally on Midgard. However, the wind did had a bit of a chill. I shivered upon walking through the courtyard, being dressed only in a long, Midgardian tunic and black leggings. I tried to blend.

"You're cold," Thor observed, "Would you like me to retrieve you something warmer?"

I smiled at the giant, blonde-headed man and shook my head.

"It's just a cold chill. I'm fine," I assured him.

Thor nodded.

"If you say so," he said with a warm smile.

I shyly returned it.

"We missed you during your absence. My brother especially," he said.

We walked to a bench near a center fountain, a sculpture of Odin's helmet cast in gold adorning the top.

"I missed both of you. You have no idea how much I missed this place," I said.

Thor nodded.

"Midgard has its perks, as you may know, but it has nothing on Asgard. I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder," I said.

Thor laughed his deep, youthful chuckle.

"That it does," he agreed.

His smile then faded to a troubled frown.

"We fought to bring you back, Loki and I. We tried to talk to Father. Even Mother put a good word in for you. You were not forgotten," he said.

I looked up at him.

"I wouldn't doubt that," I said softly.

Thor had always treated me like a sister, and made sure I was well. He and Frigga, as well as Loki, were more of a family than I ever had on Earth. My mother was burned at the stake in my place, and the rest of my family fled Salem. All long dead now, but I did not mourn for them. I missed my mother, but I knew death—mortal death, was not the end.

"I do not mean to cause you any more stress than you have already endured, but I believe that your banishment started Loki's vengeful actions," he said.

I sighed heavily.

"Being torn from someone so dear to him. You don't take Loki's stuff. I never learned that lesson," he admitted.

I cracked a smile. Oh, the fights that ensued between them as teenagers.

"I'm not his property, Thor," I said lightly.

"No, but you were _his_ nearest and dearest friend, and you gave him a reason to be happy," he said.

I bit the inside of my cheek.

"You leaving for good…turned trickery into chaos for a few months. Soon after, was the trouble with the Frost Giants, then New York," he said.

"What happened to him, Thor?" I asked.

Thor rested his elbows on his legs and puffed his cheeks out.

"He became overwhelmed with evil. After losing you and discovering his true parentage, he snapped. He went mad with darkness, rage, and powerful given to him by the Chitauri. He used his true identity to seek revenge on me and our father—my father. When I returned him to the palace, he was destined for the ax…it was Mother who fought against it. She wanted mercy for Loki, and by putting him in a cell for months, he was broken of the darkness."

I nodded in understanding.

"Isolation can break the best of them," I said.

"The only person who would visit him was Mother. She still trusted him. She was the only woman to truly love him unconditionally. The only person to love him so much. No matter what, he was still her son. She visited him every day. She hated him being in there. She comforted him. Talked to him. Brought back the old Loki. I know she did, because he fought so valiantly in our last battle together."

I looked up at Thor, shaking the painful image on Loki imprisoned from my mind. He deserved it, but this all could have been avoided. It sickened me.

"What happened?" I asked.

"A lot of things I have a small bit of regret for," he replied, "but reason called for it. We broke Loki out of prison, committed treason against Odin. However, we had to to save Asgard from Malekith and the Dark Elves. Jane had accidentally stumbled upon the Aether and it entered her. The only way to save her was to have Malekith draw it out, and the only person who knew their world was Loki. He took us there, helped me deceive Malekith, and fight the Kursed and the Dark Elves. He protected Jane. He would have never put an ounce of effort into protecting her, had she not meant so much to me. Even before she meant nothing to him, but I believe he was reminded of you."

I nodded slowly.

"He shielded her, blocked her from the wormhole, then split into a projection in an attempt to save me and leave. He wanted to get out of Asgard, and I allowed him that. He wanted to mourn the loss of our mother alone, and so he let himself slip down the wormhole, while a projection of himself saved me and died in my arms. It was not until I returned, did I find him alive."

I gasped and stared at Thor in shock.

"Frigga's gone?" I squeaked, not meaning to.

Thor looked solemnly upon me and nodded.

"She died protecting Jane. Again, from Malekith. I could do nothing to save her. She died before me," he said sadly.

"Oh, Thor," I said quietly.

He waved me off.

"She died with honor. A memorial statue was carved by Asgard's greatest sculptors and erected here in the garden," he said, pointing to a massive statue I had missed at the far end of the garden, "Father was broken, and Loki went into a fit of rage. His last conversation with her had not been a happy one."

I bit my lip. I couldn't believe she was gone.

"Loki wished to mourn away from anything that reminded him of her. Fate brought him back here. He returned under disguise, but Father saw through it. He knew what Loki had done for me, for Jane, and for Asgard, and he finally, with old age and mourning the loss of Mother weighing down on his, told Loki to take over as him. He was to grant me the throne if I wanted it, and then leave to be on his own without any more pressure from anyone. I thought him dead, and I declined the throne. Even when he revealed himself to me, I declined the throne. I wanted to be in Midgard with Jane, and I knew he would make a great king for Asgard. So far, he's done well."

I nodded. My thoughts were a whirlwind. Loki had saved Thor's life, as well as his mortal's—something very noble, but uncharacteristic of the God of Mischief.

"He took the throne because it was his purpose. It was fate, Avery. But, I believe he deserves to have something he wanted. His actions on Midgard cannot be excused, but they can be overlooked. Mother overlooked it, and so should we. He is brave, intelligent, cunning, and finally understands the true meaning of ruling. We've all done horrible things in our lives. We all have killed, hurt the ones we love, committed crimes. No one is perfect, and everyone deserves a fresh start. It's water under the bridge."

I let out a shaky breath, letting Thor's words sink in.

"How can we be certain that he did not murder Odin? That this was his plan all along?" I asked.

Thor's eyes held acute sadness.

"That's not what Mother would have wanted," he replied.

I pulled my feet into the bench and perched my chin on my knees as I hugged my legs. Frigga was gone. That sweet woman had saved my life, sparing me from mortal death. She saved Loki from execution, and Thor's mortal woman, though she knew little of her. She held such an extraordinary high capacity for love and forgiveness. Even for children who were not her's by blood. I just wished I could have said goodbye.

"I'm sorry you did not know. Loki did not tell you?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"I do not blame him. It is hard news to bear. Loki may have been protecting you from the truth, and maybe not, but you do have a right to know. She loved you like a daughter, Avery."

I swallowed and nodded. Thor gently grasped my shoulder and gave it a soft, comforting squeeze.  
Something caused Thor to sit straight up, and I in turn looked up as well. Standing at the base of Frigga's monument was a figure dressed in black, green, and gold leather and armor, stroking his hand along the base as he walked around it.

"He may be independent," Thor spoke.

He looked from Loki to me.

"But everyone can use a comforting touch," he finished.

I nodded. Thor stood and held a hand out for me. I took it and stood.

"I will be in the arena if you need me," he said.

I smiled.

"Thank-you, Thor," I said.

Thor smiled and bowed his head before leaving me. I proceeded to walk down the stone path to see Loki standing in front of the statue, looking up at the likeness of his mother with tears in his eyes. How hard had he cried when he was informed of her death? I wished I could have been there to console him. What time had been wasted.  
I slowly approached, as not to anger or spook Loki. I had never been around him when he lost someone dear to him, and after his mental rebirth, I was not sure what to expect. All I knew was that, he needed someone. I know I needed him.

"Hey," I said softly as I appeared around the memorial.

Loki's head snapped up to me.

"Hello, Ave," he said, his voice shaky.

I licked my chapped lips and took a deep breath as I crossed my arms.

"Thor told me," I said.

Loki gripped the ornate border around the base that topped the description etched in the stone.

"I loved her dearly," he said.

I blinked, my eyes watering up.

"I just wished I had let her know," he whispered.

I closed my eyes tightly.

"She knows, Loki. She knows."

Loki tried to swallow down a sob. I heard voices, so I cast an illusion around us. Loki watched the blurry barrier form around us.

"I just wish I had gotten the chance to say goodbye," I whispered.

Loki looked up at me, sympathy in his eyes. I had never gotten to say goodbye when Odin decided I needed out of his kingdom.

"Me, too," he said, then swallowed.

I walked around him and came up from behind as he stared up at the statue. I gently took his sleeve within my fingers. I then hugged his arm and laid my head against it.

"We still have each other, though," Loki said.

That did it for me. I let my tears fall and a sharp cry that I struggled to suppress escaped my mouth. I buried my face in the metal platelets in his jacket. Loki turned and pulled me into a tight hug, one hand firmly around my waist and the other hand holding the back of my head as I put my arms around his torso, not tall enough to put them around his neck. I felt him shake beneath me. He buried his face in the side of my head, and I heard him sniff before he whimpered. We held each other as tight as we could without crushing the breath out of each other. We needed this badly. I needed him on the nights I was left to sleep naked in filth with my skin bleeding and my ankles tied. He needed me during the time he had discovered Odin's dirty secret, and the turmoil that followed. Losing me. Losing Thor for some time. Losing everything he knew about himself. Then ending up right back where we belonged. The tighter we held on, the better we felt.

"I'm glad you're here. I have at least one person I can fully trust. I just wished you trusted me as much as I trust you," he confessed.

I leaned back to look at him and took his face in my hands.

"No, Loki. Listen to me," I said.

Tears spilled down my cheeks.

"I thought you a monster…until Thor told me how valiantly you fought for him. How brave you were. What you sacrificed. Odin could have had you killed. Do you know how damn lucky you are?"

A tear slid out of a corner of his eye. I wiped it away with my thumb.

"You saved my life. It was you who kept me going when I lived in Midgard. For a time, anyway. You are still the same man I admired and deeply respected before the trouble started. In my eyes, that's redemption enough. The others would call me a fool for saying that, but I know you have never lied to me."

"Nor will I ever will, sweetheart," he said.

Fresh tears welled up and poured over without pause. Loki cupped my face and kissed my hairline before holding me tightly. This was my safety. No one could hurt me here. No one could hate me here. My energy could dwindle and my aura could rot, rendering me powerless, but with Loki, I didn't have to worry about protecting myself.

"And never have I heard you cry so hard," he said, sounding devastated, "Now and last night."

I shuddered and looked up at him.

"What?" I asked.

He looked down shyly.

"My balcony is above your's," he said.

I felt my heart beat pick up. I had been loud last night.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was around. I didn't mean to wake you if I did," I apologized.

Loki shook his head.

"How could I rest when my best friend is in so much pain?" he asked.

I felt my face contort as another sob welled up in my chest, making my entire rib cage throb. If I didn't release it, I would surely have the hiccups.

"I know when you are tortured, Ave. I know you too well for you to deny it," he said.

"That's an appropriate word for it," I said bitterly.

He craned his neck down, trying to grab eye contact.

"Who hurt you?" he asked.

I clenched my jaw.

"Many," I whispered.

I nervously looked up at him. Loki straightened and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Ave," he said, pulling me back into him, "So sorry."

I clutched the hem on his jacket and laid my head on his chest, all those nights of wishing he was there to save me hitting me full throttle.

"Loki?" I asked.

"Yes, Avery?"

"Would you mind too much if I permanently moved to Asgard?" I asked.

I looked up at him. He brushed moisture from my cheek and gave me a small smile.

"I would love nothing more," he replied.

I smiled at him. Loki smiled wider and hugged me once more.

"You're welcome, by the way," he said.

At first, I was confused. Then I remembered what I had said last night. I laughed a little.

"I mean it," I said.

Loki smiled, his lips moving in a charming curve that lacked its usual deviance.

"You will be safe here. You are under my protection," he said, authority in his voice.

I could not contain my amusement.

"Thank-you."

"And I mean that," he said.

I laughed at that. Not at him. Just because.

"With every fiber of my damned being. I told you before I would never let anyone hurt you, and I swear to you that I will never be the one to cause you tears," he said sincerely.

I stared at him, words failing me.

"Avery, I love you. I always have. You have always been good to me. You made me feel cared for and loved. I could not cause tears to someone who means so much to me. I did so to Frigga, and now she's gone. It would be the undoing of me to see that happen to you."

I reached down and took his hands. He stiffened for a moment. I do not think he expected this of me, and frankly, neither did I!

"Remember all those time I have you these compliments and you would tease me?" I asked.

"I assure you, it was only because I loved you," he said quickly.

I held a hand up to silence him.

"Loki, I meant everything I said. And I told you all of it—"

"Daily," he said teasingly.

I smiled.

"Because I loved you. It wasn't until I had my little 'cry and wake up the neighborhood' session that I realized it."

Loki's face fell.

"Every time I was attacked by some maniac on the streets, or abused in a tiny room by the worst kind of people, I just thought of you. I knew you would never do those things to me that they did. You are nothing but the kindest to me."

Loki clasped my hands in his and kissed my knuckles.

"You're a shit-head, but you're the only man I've ever loved," I said with a smiled.

Loki chuckled.

"As I recall, you were never that well-behaved yourself," he teased.

I reclaimed one of my hands and swatted his shoulder, causing him to laugh. He held me by the waist with one hand and tilted my chin up with his opposite hand. He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine.

"You remember when I was in the worst of sorts, and you transferred your energy to me?" he asked.

I smiled and nodded. Loki would have fits of rage, or the worst depression imaginable, and I would hold his shoulders, summon positive and loving energy, and transfer it to him. Surround him in it. It was magic I could not explain, but so simple. It took a lot out of me, but to see him smiling again—it was worth it.  
He reached the hand holding my hip and pressed his palm over my heart. A flood of emotions washed over me, and I realized that he had been doing this since I arrived. He was trying to reconnect. His attempts were different, though, for we were different ages, and he was much more powerful than I was. This time, he got it right. Beautiful, warm, caring energy flooded me, hitting me like the tsunami it was. I gasped and looked to see his eyes staring into me, now dark blue.

"Loki," I whispered in astonishment.

He smiled and tenderly pressed his lips against mine. I held the side of his neck and reach up on tip-toe to kiss him back. The energy he filled me with, mixed with my emotions, I used and gave them back. Loki loosened and deepened the kiss. We only broke when we had to breathe, but even then, I didn't part from him.  
I looked over my shoulder at the grand memorial to the fallen Queen, wondering if someday I would be next. It was doubtful.

"Do you think Frigga would bless us?" I asked.

Loki chuckled.

"If she has not done so already," he replied.

I smiled and leaned into him. I had been so lost, as he had been. Now, we were home.

That afternoon, Loki had to discuss business with Thor, plus his kingly matters, so I retired to my chambers for a nap to rest and restore my energy. The tonic helped clear up my cold symptoms, but my injuries from my encounter with the Frost Giants were still healing, and my magic levels were low. Unlike Loki, whose powers could be used at any time, my magical core was fueled by my own energy and emotions. They worked flawlessly when I was happy and well, like shit when I was tired or in pain, and mercilessly when I was angry. I was at my most powerful when my adrenaline was pumping and I was fighting for a passion, such as saving someone's life. I can use it to my advantage when I was in a situation, like saving Loki from a demon who had slipped behind him with an ax, or Thor's clumsy butt when he tripped and was almost bitten by some demon spawn in Muspelheim. Even my mother, who was nearly captured and burned at the stake, or my cat I had as a child, who had been trampled by a horse, and I helped heal it. I knew I would need my magic restored as soon as possible to help Loki and Thor, so I napped for an hour or so.  
When I awoke, it was still day light. I ventured out onto the balcony, Frigga on my mind. I wished there had been a grave. I knew her body had been cremated, releasing her soul to the heavens. It was not like human burials. It was much more sensitive—more beautiful and honorable. However, I just felt in comfort in the idea of being able to see a headstone and knowing her body was below my feet. I just hoped she was looking down on us. She had always been so kind and gentle, yet firm. She was a fighter, and it was her Loki learned his magic and his wit from. She inspired me to be brave, and she was always someone I could confide in when I didn't feel comfortable discussing it with Loki. I just wanted to hug her one more time.  
I reached my hands up, cupping them as if they held water and closed my eyes. I formed a blue orb of light in my palms. It twisted bigger and bigger, like a snowball gathering more snow to make a part of a snowman. Once it was baseball sized, I held it to my mouth.

"Time has passed, the Wheel has turned. This light is for Frigga, our fallen queen…my hero. You walk with your ancestors now. I ask that the Lord and Lady welcome her back to the womb and divine instruction. Let her come back into your loving embrace, and let her know she has been blessed by your gracious gifts. Let her know her know she left behind a wonderful legacy. We will cry for her. We will laugh for her. We will mourn her departure, and we will celebrate her great life. I ask you surround her in love and strength in her path across the rivers. We will never forget her, her gracious deeds, and her sacrifice. May her soul walk among the heavens for eternity. So mote it be," I prayed.

I walked to the railing with the pulsing orb. I raised it up, then gently blew on it. The ball shot off into a sparkling dust, that was swept away by the wind to the heavens. I watched it float away until I could see it no longer.

"That was beautiful."

I jumped and spun around to see Loki standing in the doorway. I nearly choked when I saw him, and I tried to catch my breath. I was so caught up in the prayer, I was startled to hear his voice.

"Do you not know how to knock?" I playfully snapped.

Loki cracked a smile as he slowly strolled over.

"I suppose not," he said warmly, "I do apologize for startling you, though."

He approached me and reached up to fix a piece of hair. I knew my whole head was a mess from sleeping on it.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"I think I'll be in full swing by tomorrow. Everything has been just…insane," I said.

Loki chuckled.

"I know. I cannot say it will slow down so you can catch up at the present time, but you will readjust again. With time," he said.

I smiled up at him.

"Everything's so different now, though," I said, looking out across the kingdom.

Loki cupped my face and turned my head to make me look at him.

"Because of us?" he asked, slightly worried.

I sighed and smiled.

"That's one side of the coin. I just mean now that you rule. Frigga's no longer with us. Just…everything seemed to happen for me in one day," I tried to explain.

"I agree it's a bit overwhelming," he said, "but times are better. Maybe not so much for peace in the Realms, but life for all of us. I like to hope it will be even better. I have more respect than I did before. I have a purpose in Asgard. I have you, love."

He kissed my knuckles, breaking my shatterproof attention.

"I'm not in any hell any longer. It's a new start, Ave."

I smiled at him.

"You don't know how I've longed for this. I am so grateful to share it with you," he said.

I took his jaw and kissed him. Loki put his arms around my waist and deepened the kiss.

"I have something else I would like to share with you," he said.

I watched him curiously. He took my hand and led me from the balcony and back into the palace. He led me down to the throne room, which, save for a few guards, was empty. When I entered, the room was as different as my life had become. I gasped when I saw the once glorious room, now damaged.

"The Dark Elves," Loki said, his voice echoing and bitter, "This was their mark they left on Asgard. One of them, anyway."

He reached into his pocket and produced a hefty piece of crystal, charmed to disappear and be weightless in his pockets.

"This is what I went to Jotunheim for when I found you. It's magic is instant," he went on, "And glorious to witness. It only works once. I could pull another point from the cave I found it in, but it would be useless to me. I wanted to share it with you, Ave."

I approached him to look at the crystal. Blue, fading to green surrounding a hole. It reminded me of my meager collection of holy stones I had picked up in Midgard. Some of which I used in my altar. Natural holes made in the rock, adding a new dimension.

"It's a precious crystal. I thought it best to use it versus architects. Bring something special back to this once grand room," he said.

"Do you know how to use it?" I asked.

He looked up at me and nodded.

"Would you like to see?" he asked.

I nodded. Loki held his left palm out and held the crystal upright. He took the sharp point between his long fingers and spun it, like one would do with a jack. It spun into the air like a top, hovering like a UFO between his hands. He began to recite a spell in a language far beyond anything I had ever heard. The language of the ancient Frost Giants. His spell, however, ended in English.

"Bless this room, and protect those who dwell in it," he finished.

With that, he released it, then backed up to me. He took my hand and stood between me and the crystal, shielding me from it in case something went wrong.  
The crystal revolved at warp speed, creating so much energy, light began to emit from it. Suddenly, it burst into blue and green light, surrounding Loki and I and spreading over every inch of the throne room and turning the warm gold light to cool blue. It was like Christmas lights. Loki and I looked up to the light. Healing energy swirled around us. Cracks sealed seamlessly. Columns repaired themselves and duplicated to replace the missing ones. The throne grew back like a replaced limb that had been torn from the body of the palace. This was magic far beyond my powers. Only the most powerful of sorcerers could do it. In that moment, I was so proud of Loki.  
In a few minutes, the light withdrew from the walls, and within a burst of smoke, it was gone. I stared at the renewed throne room in awe. The room was ancient, but now it looked brand new. Restored to its original glory with the first king. Now, its new king.

"Loki, that was amazing! Look at this place!" I said excitedly, looking around the room.

"It was," he agreed, "Not even during my childhood did it look this glamorous."

I smiled up at him. Just when I thought I couldn't admire him more…

"I think everyone will love it. Paintings will be made, I'm sure," he said, then frowned, "Just with me absent from the throne."

I took him by the shoulders and turned him to face me.

"Give it time, Loki," I said softly.

He gave me a small smile.

"They will learn to love you. As I did," I said.

His smile widened and he softly kissed me before hugging me.

"I could have used your kind words a time ago," he said.

I gave him a squeeze before pulling back to look at him.

"Well, I'm here now," I said.

He smiled at that.

"And we need to get you moved into your new chambers," he said happily.

I felt my mood sour.

"That's a trip to Midgard," I said, pointing out the obvious.

"I will go with you. Thor and I both," he said.

I nodded. I didn't want him to see what had become of me during my banishment. My living space…

"You will not go back alone, okay?"

I nodded and gave him a small smile. He rubbed my arm and touched his forehead to mine.

"We will depart tomorrow. Today, I just to spend some time with you," he said.

I couldn't argue with that.


	5. The Nightmare Begins

_"No! Please! I'll do anything. Just please not this!"_

The man yanked at his belt buckle.

"Damn right you'll do anything. You will do anything and everything I tell you. That clear?" he snapped, yanking his baggy jeans down.

I curled up into a ball and started panicking.

"Get over here and suck my dick!" he ordered.

I felt tears well up in my eyes.

"No," I said.

Had I had the energy, he would have been a girl in a split second.

The man stared at me with wide eyes.

"What did you just say?" he asked.

I snarled.

"Fuck you!" I shouted.

The man rushed me. I screamed as he grabbed me by the hair and kicked me in the ribs, knocking me breathless. He grabbed the back of my head and forced my mouth upon him. I gave in then.

"That's right, bitch. Suck it like the whore you are," he said.

I felt like I would vomit.

He threw me in the floor, tore away my clothes, and brutally defiled me, showing not one ounce of mercy. I fought, but it was no use. He slapped me with every thrust. When he was finished, he nearly kicked me across the room. I laid there bleeding and crying for several hours before the next guy came in. Then the next…

***

Thor was walking to his chambers, strolling through the corridors when he heard a blood-curdling scream. He recognized the voice as Avery's. He summoned Mjolnir and bounded up a flight of stairs to her chamber door.

***

"Get away from her!" Loki barked.

The guard who had heard Avery's screaming had rushed into her chambers, barging in on the woman writhing and screaming in the bed. Loki marched in, angry that the guard had burst forth into her chambers, not showing any respect for Avery's privacy.

"Sire, we thought she was being attacked," one explained.

Loki stared at him, sending a jolt of fear through the guard.

"Get out!" he shouted at them.

They scrambled away and ran out the door. Thor appeared in the doorway, looking confused as the guards tried to flee as fast as they could. He looked in to see Loki at Avery's bedside.

"What's going on?" he asked worriedly.

Loki shook his head. Avery was doubled over, clutching her side where the stab wound was. He was suddenly worried. He thought he had healed her. What was happening now?  
Thinking quickly, he pushed her onto her back. Still sleeping, she screamed bloody murder.

"Thor! Hold her down!" Loki ordered.

Thor quickly appeared at his brother's side and restrained Avery.

"Forgive me, darling," Loki said as he lifted her shirt to examine the wound.

He was in sheer shock and disgust when he looked upon her torso. The recent stab wound was not the cause of her pain. In fact, it was almost gone. It was the other horrifying scars littering her skin. Loki felt his throat close up.

"Wake her, Loki," Thor said, sounding desperate.

Loki pulled her shirt back down and moved up to take her face in his hands.

"Avery," he said, his voice strong and stern.

***

I gasped and panted as my eyes flew open. A face was hovering over me. Thinking I was still in the middle of a nightmare, I screamed and clawed away from it.

"Ave! Avery, it's just me," it said.

I looked to see Loki. He crawled into the bed and scooped me up.

"You're safe. You're okay," he said.

When I saw those familiar blue eyes, I cried in relief and and grabbed fistfuls of his jacket, hiding in his chest. Loki sighed and held me to him.

"Is she alright?" a deep voice behind Loki asked.

I timidly looked up to see Thor looking on worriedly. I must have awoken the whole palace.

"I have it taken care of, Thor. She'll be alright," Loki said to his brother over his shoulder.

Thor still seemed uneasy.

"Go to your chambers and rest. We will leave for Midgard to retrieve Avery's belongings in the morning," he said.

Thor nodded.

"I will meet you at the Observatory. Avery, rest well," he said.

I looked over Loki's shoulder at him.

"Thank-you," I whispered.

Thor gave me a soft smile before nodding and turning away. Loki and I watched until the door was closed. Once shut, Loki quickly turned back to me.

"What happened? Are you alright?" he asked frantically.

I swallowed and nodded.

"It was just a nightmare," I said.

"Don't lie to me, Avery," he said strictly, "You were in pain."

I bit my lip. I did not want him to know the details of what happened in the dream…or on Earth in reality. However, once he saw my home tomorrow, explaining myself would be unavoidable.

"I thought your wound had been causing you pain, but when I checked, I saw the scars. What happened to you?" he asked in a demanding tone.

He was not angry with me. Just pissed at whoever had harmed me.

"What didn't happen?" I said, "I was dropped from Asgard with no money. No life. In the worst possible shit hole in America. I lied. I stole. I worked degrading jobs. I was often beaten in alleyways. I was kidnapped. That's what that nightmare was about."

Loki tensed up. I let out a shaky breath.

"They locked me up. Beat me," I said, "They destroyed my energy, so I could not save myself with magic. One by one, every night. They took the most precious things away from me. Things I had been saving."

Loki looked sadly upon me. I summoned up enough energy to speak again.

"They raped me and wrecked me, Loki. I was able to heal myself. Restore myself," I said quietly.

An impending sob welled up in my chest.

"They made me feel worthless. I was their property. Their toy…their whore," I let out a sob, "When you hear it enough times, you start to believe it. I am nothing."

Loki tightened his arms around me and I let loose and bawled into his chest.

"You are everything, Avery. You are light, and love, and beauty. You have a purpose in this life. Do not think ill of yourself any longer. For whoever dares to harm you again, verbally or otherwise, I will show them no mercy," he said dangerously, his words dripping venom. Drenched in it.

"Loki—"

"Let me finish," he said, "Nothing you are not. Not to me. You are mine. My dearest and my trusted friend. You comforted me, allowed me to confide in you as you did with me, drew laughter from me on my darkest days. You, Avery, changed me. If it's all the same to you, darling, you mean much more to me, as well as Thor, than you will ever know. You are not worthless, and you do not deserve to believe such words, from men who think about nothing but their own advantages. If I had known, and had been able to rescue you, I would have. Seeing you, completely broken, it pains me. I swear to you, as long as you're with me, I will never let such harm to you come again. I will be right by your side, and if you like, I can erase those scars."  
I closed my eyes tightly in a futile attempt to keep the tears at bay. Loki nuzzled the side of my head before kissed my cheek, then taking my hand and kissing my knuckles. I tried to smile at him, but just broke down and cried into his chest. Loki cradled the back of my head and held me to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his jaw, showing him my gratitude. Loki looked down at me and smiled. I blinked away tears as he stroked my wet cheek, soothing my erratic breathing.  
I felt so much better in Loki's presence. Knowing he would never let another man touch me. Knowing that I was loved and cared for. Knowing that I was finally safe, and safest in his arms. His words replayed over and over in my head, blowing away those negative thoughts the nightmare had brought. One stuck out the most. "You are mine." Not property, like the men who violated. His friend. His love. He had my heart and soul. That being said, he was mine as well.

"Could you do me a favor?" I asked quietly.

Loki looked down at me, his expression nothing but warm and affectionate.

"What would that be, my love?" he asked.

I shivered at his words. He was strange, yet so satisfying to hear him call me such loving names. Once used to it, I knew I would never tire of it.

"You can say no, but would you mind staying here tonight? Not all night, if you don't want to. Just until I fall asleep again?"

Loki smiled at pressed his lips to mine, softly kissing me.

"Of course, Ave," he replied.

I smiled sleepily. Loki readjusted himself on the bed, summoning a more comfortable tunic and pants in place of his jacket and armor. I curled up against him, his tunic soft and smelling of him, fresh rain and the fragrant scent of man. His body was warm. He ran his slender fingers through my hair and watched me, not breaking his attention for anything.

"Goodnight, my sweetest Avery," he said softly.

I smiled and closed my eyes.

"Goodnight, my dearest Loki," I replied.

Loki wrapped his arms around me, sheltering me. I fell into a pleasant sleep.

***

The next morning, I woke up as peacefully as I had the day before. The calming air filled the room, and I was comfortably warm. The kind of warm where you just want to roll over and fall asleep for another few hours. The mattress was so comfortable and form fitting, the sheets and covers were so soft and glossy, though warm like a heavy quilt. It almost had a healing quality to it. I knew that the mattresses were designed for warrior's to heal and comfort them after battle. To me, it was the most glorious thing I've ever slept on.  
I rolled onto my bag and stretched. As I did, my elbow hitting something that was not pillow. I jumped and turned to see a familiar pale face and black hair strung everywhere. I smiled. I had not thought Loki would stay. I'm sure he probably wanted to stay and make sure he was there in case of another nightmare and then accidentally fell asleep. However, he had an arm draped across my stomach, as if he intended to fall asleep holding me. His face was peaceful, and with the way his normally combed-back hair was in his face, I knew he must have slept well. Whether he had intended on falling asleep here or not, I like to think he did.  
A piece of his hair fell across his cheek, getting sucked under his nose and gently blown away as he breathed. I smiled and reached over to push it out of the way. It was strange, seeing Loki like this. When we were younger, we would sometimes fall asleep together, with no intentions save for enjoying each other's presence and trying to catch a few moments of rest. Sometimes Loki would accidentally fall asleep on my bed in my chambers after returning from battle, or a stressful day juggling his duties as a prince and fighting his battles between the All Father and Thor. Even then, when he slept, his features were set in the most troubled of expressions. Then as time passed, and the events with New York played out, I saw nothing but evil on the news. I had liked to believe that it was the news manipulating him, and I'm sure it was to a certain degree, but I couldn't shake that look in his eyes.  
Now, as he laid sleeping beside me, he looked so vulnerable. He had a rough exterior, one made of heartbreak, betrayal, and mistreatment. He was hardened, making him stronger. Yet, he still had a weak side reserved for only himself—until I returned. This state, even though it was merely sleep, was so rare and precious to see. It made me realize how much I truly missed him. His pranks. His words. His genuine smile on occasion. His concern. Those fights with myself, trying to mask my feelings towards him. Now, I was his. To pester. To protect. To love. This was no dream in the middle of the night, soaked in drying bodily fluids and for a brief moment, swept away by your best friend…the man you love. This was real now.

"You, my dear, are every bit as stunning first thing in the morning as you are after you have groomed yourself."

I jumped and looked to see Loki, smiling sleepily.

"Please!" I said and rolled my eyes.

Loki nuzzled my neck.

"Utterly breathtaking," he breathed out.

I froze. I had never heard those words out of any man, but coming from him, I knew he meant it.

"You're not so bad yourself, mister," I said teasingly.

Loki smirked. It set his eyes aflame, and I had to admit, he looked absolutely gorgeous.

"Would you mind elaborating for me, love?" he asked, taking my hand, "What is it you find 'not so bad' about me?"

I mirrored his smirk, then backhanded his chest. With no armor on, he felt the pain this time. Loki snatched my wrist and tackled me. I went into a giggling fit as he pinned me beneath him. He grinned wickedly. My breathing hitched when I looked up at him, and I tried to hide my reaction from him. Knowing him, he knew exactly what he was doing to me.

"You shit," I breathed out.

Loki laughed and took my mouth as his.

"You still haven't answered my question," he reminded me.

"I do not intend to," I popped off.

Loki raised an eyebrow at me.

"I have ways of getting it out of you," he said, all too confident.

I eyed him.

"Do not try that with me, Loki," I warned him.

Loki grinned.

"Try what?" he asked, leaning down to plant soft kisses on my neck.

"That power of deception crap. You know it doesn't work on me," I said.

He lifted his head up to look at me, our noses dangerously close to each other.

"How would you know that, my dear?" he asked, playing with a piece of my hair.

"Because I learned it from you!"

Loki laughed. I smiled at him and cupped his face.

"Is not a simple 'I love you' enough?" I asked.

Loki's amusement was replaced by a soft smile and gentleness. A niceness no one, save for Frigga, knew he could possess.  
He kissed my cheek and scooped me up, holding me in his lap. I put my arms around his neck and ran my fingers through his hair.

"Loki, you are beautiful. Inside and out. To me you are. You are gorgeous, caring, affectionate," I listed.

I turned my head into him, burying my face in his neck.

Loki breathed in deeply and chuckled.

"'I love you' was all I needed to hear, Ave."

He pulled back and I smiled at him. He stroked my cheek with the backs of his fingers.

"I love you, too," he said softly.

He kissed me deeply.

Outside my chamber doors, the sound of Thor's voice could be heard. He was looking for me and Loki.

"What time is it?" I asked curiously.

I crawled out of Loki's lap and searched my side table for a clock. Unfortunately, there was none.

"Early," Loki groaned.

He rolled over onto his back, covering his eyes with an arm.

"I could sleep longer, but we need to prepare to leave," he grumbled.

I smiled at him.

"Someone's grumpy," I teased.

He pointed a finger at me, too tired to scold me.

"Can Heimdall bring us, and all of my belongings back? I mean, it's not a lot since Odin destroyed a lot of it," I said.

"I could have killed him for doing that," he growled.

I watched him for a moment, not sure whether to go on. I knew my banishment angered him, and I hated talking about it. He glanced over at me when I didn't respond.

"Sorry, darling. Yes, we can manage it all. Heimdall can bring back the Earth's moon if he wanted. Besides, I know of several containment charms. We could fit your bed in your pocket if you like."

I laughed.

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Loki."

He smiled and shrugged. I crawled over to him and leaned down to kiss him.

"Thank-you, though," I said.

"You're welcome, love," he said, then sat up and stood, "I will leave you in privacy so you can get ready. I will meet you with Thor in the entrance hall."

I nodded.

"I'll be there in a minute," I replied.

Loki kissed my forehead before turning and leaving me. I quickly rushed into the bathroom for a quick shower, transformed the clothes I had been wearing into slightly different ones, then made my long hair presentable before leaving my chambers.  
I walked down the long corridors of the palace, marching straight to the entrance hall. As I entered the last corridor before the front of the palace, a whipping of leather flaps sounded behind me. I stopped, my tennis shoes squeaking on the golden floor. Loki was approaching me, wearing his hair combed back, his full armor and jacket, plus the leather pants and boots to match. However, he was wearing one of his more lighter sets of armor. I felt my eyes widen. He didn't look like a proper king. Not like Odin. He was still the rogue prince of Asgard to me. The rebel. To throw the title of king on him…was highly attractive. I said nothing and tried not to let it translate to my features.

"That was fast," I blurted out.

Loki raised an eyebrow at me.

"Have you known me to stall?" he asked, taking my arm to escort me to the front doors.

I smiled up at him.

"No, dear Loki. You have always remained quite prompt," I said, humoring him.

Loki smirked, then began to lead me to the entrance hall.

"It really does not take me long to prepare myself for the day," he said, "Magic helps."

I smiled and nodded.

Loki escorted me to the front doors. They were wide open. Six different horses stood in front of the doors, tacked and prepared to take us to the Bifrost. Three guards stood nearby, two holding the reins of a large black horse and a strawberry roan, and the other speaking to Thor, who was mounted on his steed of pure white. These horses were large and healthy, lean from exercise and shiny from a great diet and impeccable grooming. The other three, all brown in color, were smaller. They were guards' horses, reserved for their service while the best of the breeds were reserved for royalty.  
As we walked out, all three guards crossed their chests with their fists and bowed to Loki.

"My Lord, your horses are ready," the middle one said.

Loki nodded.

"Take your mounts and follow us to the Observatory. You will then take our horses back to the stables. When we return, I will expect these horses waiting for us so will shall not have to cross the Bifrost on foot. Is that clear?"

They bowed. Thor looked over his shoulder.

"The sun is peaking, brother. Who is the late one now?" he asked teasingly.

"We are fine, Thor. Avery, come here," Loki said.

I followed Loki to the roan's left side.

"This is Rune," he said.

I patted the horse's hindquarter as I made my way around him.

"He's the most gentle stallion we have. I requested him for you. I know it's been a long time since you have ridden," Loki began, taking the reins from the guard.

"Rune the Roan?" I asked.

Loki smiled.

"It was fitting. Would you like a leg up?" he asked.

I nodded. I reached up for the saddle, barely able to reach the pommel. Loki took my left leg as I sprang up and into the saddle. Rune did not move an inch. I settled into the saddle and placed the balls of my feet in the stirrups. Loki brought the reins over the horse's head and handed them to me.

"You people and your tall horses," I playfully grumbled.

Loki smiled and went to mount his horse. Thor laughed at me. Loki's stallion was far taller than Rune, though, not much taller than Thor's horse. However, Loki's was tall enough to mount with no problems. I just shook my head.

"Are we ready?" Thor asked enthusiastically.

"I am," I spoke up.

Loki sighed.

"To Midgard," he said.

With that, we were off to visit Heimdall.

At the Observatory, Thor and Loki dismounted, and Loki kindly helped me dismount Rune. He was such a tall horse, but a very smooth ride and highly obedient. If I had the pleasure of getting time to myself here on Midgard, I would request him again for a joy ride through the forest.  
Once the horses were taken away, Loki and I followed Thor inside the Observatory, where Heimdall was standing and ready to send us off. He bowed his helmeted head when he saw me.

"My lady, it is good to see you well. Our King was quiet distraught when you arrived. We feared the worst," he said.

Loki bit the inside of his cheek to hide his embarrassment.

"Thank-you, good Heimdall. It is nice to see you again," I said politely.

He nodded.

"Heimdall, please see to it that we are dropped in an isolated location," Thor said, "I do not want to be detected by S.H.I.E.L.D."

As he spoke with Heimdall, Loki leaned down to my ear.

"Where did those clothes come from?" he whispered.

I smirked.

"Magic," I replied.

Loki smiled.

"I see you still refuse to wear Asgardian clothes," he said.

I laughed.

"If we are not able to promptly return, we will need to be somewhere safe. The One-Eyed Man sees Loki and there will be another war," Thor spoke to Heimdall.

I bit my lip and looked over Loki's attire.

"You may need to change," I told him.

Loki snorted.

"She is wise, brother. Midgardian clothing may not be so insane of an idea," Thor said.

Loki glared daggers at Thor. It was no secret that he hated the idea. I took his hand, which was clenched tightly in a fist.

"There is only so much I can do to save your ass," I hissed.

Loki sighed. His clothing glowed green and gold. His armor under his jacket transformed to a green t-shirt, his leather jacket shortened to a men's everyday leather jacket, his leather pants to black jeans, and his boots to a pair of Converse, which were the only shoes he had seen me wear on Asgard. He refused to change anything else, though. Asgardian armor or not, he still looked like a rockstar.

Thor smiled at his brother and his armor vanished, replaced by a plain black t-shirt, boots and jeans.

"Will this suffice?" Loki asked.

I bit my lip. Then touched my hand to his chest, turning the green t-shirt a pale blue.

"That will," I said.

Loki looked ready to kill me.

"They'll be looking for green!" I insisted.

Loki rolled his eyes. Thor laughed a hearty laugh. Loki growled.

"Send us, Heimdall," he ordered.

Heimdall nodded.

"As you wish, your Majesty," he said.

Thor, Loki and I walked to our spot. Heimdall opened the gate and the Observatory began to spin around us. Thor bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, excited, while fidgeted. I hated traveling like this. Loki must have sensed my discomfort, for he put an arm firmly around my waist, and we were yanked through space.  
When we landed, we were in the middle of a field. A farmhouse was off in the distance. My ankles gave me no support, and as soon as I landed, I collapsed to the ground and my heart began racing. Loki was over me in an instant. Thor kneeled beside me.

"Avery, sweetheart, are you alright?" Loki asked.

I nodded, trying to catch my breath.

"Just give me a minute," I said breathlessly.

Thor chuckled.

"You used to be able to handle traveling like that," he said.

I smiled. Loki stroked my cheek, his fingers icy to calm me.

"It has never been easy. Loki, help me up," I said.

Loki took my hand and hauled me to my feet. I brushed off the grass that was sticking to me. We were in the middle of California. It was cool out, and barely morning. In the distance, a house with peeling white paint stood.

"Where are we, Avery?" Thor asked, looking around.

I sighed.

"My home," I replied.

I laced my fingers with Loki's.

"Let's just get this over with," I groaned.

I led the brothers through the field and up to the side door of the house.

"Is there no front door?" Thor asked.

I let out a pained sigh. I really didn't want either of them seeing the place. It was a dump, but it was cheap, and it was all I could afford with the All-Father banished me. It was old, and needed updates, but it was functional and clean, and that was all that mattered to me. Until now, that is.

"It doesn't open anymore," I mumbled, "Look."

I turned to face them.

"This place isn't the worst place I've lived since my banishment, but it is still a dump, and I didn't want you guys to ever know, but I also didn't want Loki knowing what he knows."

I had a feeling I had already said too much.

"Just please overlook what it is and help me gather my things," I said.

They nodded. I reached above the door frame and grabbed the key, then opened it. Inside was a white and teal kitchen that looked like it was straight out of the 1950s. It was plain, and like most of the house, smelled like old musty wood. Thor and Loki timidly walked in and looked around, Thor shutting the door.

"This is not so bad," Thor spoke up, "When I first met Jane, she was living in a metal room on wheels."

I smiled at Thor.

"I'm sure it was far nicer than this place," I said, Loki following me through the kitchen, "Loki, hun, watch your step. There's a hole in under the linoleum somewhere."

Loki stopped, one foot in the air.

"This isn't so bad, Avery," Thor insisted.

"Thor, it's not safe. One slip and she could break her leg!" Loki argued.

"Guys, please. Let's just hurry and go. Any second this place could be surrounded in black cars and helicopters."

They nodded and followed me. I lead them through the living room. The floor beneath us creaked with every step.

"Thor, you can start on the hall closet. It's just boxes of important documents and stuff," I said.

Thor nodded and opened he closet. I led Loki to my bedroom.

"Avery?" Loki asked, shutting the door to as I walked around the bed and pulled out a wooden box I kept my witchcraft tools in from beneath a rickety side table.

"What, Loki?" I sighed.

He walked over to me as I grabbed a stack of books and journals from beneath the bed. I felt him wrap his arms around my waist and nuzzle his face against the side of my head.

"Why do you feel so ashamed?" he asked softly.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

"You said you've lived in worse," he pointed out.

"I know, but it's sad that this was my high point. During my visits here, I lived well. Not the high-life, but nothing like _this_. You're seeing a low point for me, Loki."

Loki kissed my shoulder. I bit my lip.

"It's over now," he said.

I let out a shaky breath. A life of humility, pain, and sadness I had never known before and, hopefully, would never know again, was over. I never wanted this to happen—Loki and Thor seeing this. I didn't want them putting their pity on me. I just wanted the old days back.

"I just didn't want you to see this, Loki. You know me. You know I wouldn't settle for this if I didn't have to. I just…didn't feel like making anything better was worth it."

Loki moved in front of me and sat down on my bed.

"Why not?" he asked, not too pleased with me.

I looked down and shook my head. Loki reached up and took my hands.

"Did you fear everything would be taken away from you? Again?" he asked, sympathy scribbled across his features.

I stared at him for a moment, trying to process his question. I had not thought about it passed the point of just not wanting to put any effort in making anything special. In my mind, special was Asgard, and carefree living, and Loki and Thor, and magic, and that was it. Midgardians had hurt me. Earth was not special. It reminded me of everything poisonous, and what happened with Loki in New York, and it simply scared me. But losing the little I had, which was just a bit more than what I had to begin with? I had lost my home, my friends, my life, my belongings…  
Loki, in a sense, was right. Why make something with my life, if it was only going to be ripped away from me again?

"Yeah," I whispered.

Loki frowned and brought my hands up to kiss my knuckles.

"You don't have to worry about that any longer," he said.

I leaned down and hugged him.

"Let's pack up. I want you to show me where you think that portal is," he said.

I nodded. Loki stood and began to straighten and charm my books while I went to retrieve my duffel bag and fill it with clothes.

"Now, I recognize this," Loki said.

I turned to see him holding up a large, black leather book with shiny blue runes etched into it. I had several Books of Shadows, and that one was one Loki made for me. All Jotun magic.

"You know to be extremely careful with this magic, right?" he asked.

I pulled a bundle of socks from my drawer.

"I've never used it. I just keep it because it's special and reminds me of you," I said.

Loki shrunk my books.

"Where would you like these?" he asked.

I turned to see him hold a cube between his index finger and thumb.

"There a backpack in the closet," I said.

Loki nodded and went to retrieve it. We finished packing everything I would need in my room, then I sent him to the living room with Thor to pack my movies and the gear necessary to make them work. I didn't have much, but I did have my movies, and I couldn't part with them. I knew I could find a way to watch them on Asgard.  
After packing my bathroom essentials, we moved everything to the kitchen in preparation to leave. As I set my backpack on the table, the house rattled hard as a jet passed over. Loki jumped and Thor stared at the ceiling. I wouldn't have noticed it, had they not reacted.

"There's a military airport a few miles away. It was just a jet," I explained.

Loki looked horrified.

"You could have mentioned that, Ave," he hissed.

"I told you they'd be looking for green, Loki!" I snapped.

Loki rolled his eyes.

"We'll just cast an illusion around us when we go outside. Thor, keep a lookout, please," I said.

Thor nodded. I opened the kitchen door and peeked around the sky.

"Clear. Loki, come on."

Loki stepped passed Thor and onto the steps. I took his hand and cast a masking charm around us. Loki seemed impressed, but then cast his own around us, trying to top me.

"It had a hole in it," he said innocently.

I smiled and shook my head. In the distance, I heard the whirring of an aircraft.

"Your magic used to be so seamless," he said.

I looked up to the sky, seeing nothing.

"Well, I still need to recharge. My mind's been fucked with," I said.

I took his wrist and began to lead him to the woods across the field.

"You know I would have come and found you if I could. I never expected things were this bad," he said.

He took my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"What's life without a little chaos?" I asked.

Loki's eyes lit up and a wicked grin crossed his features.

"I knew there was a reason I loved you," he said lowly, his voice like velvet.

I smirked at him.

"Let's go find the portal. You think the Jotuns are up to this?" I asked.

"Perhaps. However, I fear it's something worse," he said.

I gritted my teeth.

"What were you doing out here, anyway?" he asked curiously as we walked through the tree line and down a trail originally worn away by animals, and now my feet.

"Jogging. Got to amuse myself some how. In the summer, I run it barefoot to reconnect myself with the Earth," I said.

Loki looked puzzled.

"It's just, uh, a mental thing. It helps heal my aura when I'm in a funk," I tried to explain.

Loki simply nodded.

"Was it a hole in the ground?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"I don't remember. It was getting dark," I replied.

Loki walked slightly ahead of me, keeping a keen eye on the ground so he could stop me before I fell to Jotunheim again.

"Do you know how to seal a portal?" I asked.

Loki shook his head.

"If I knew the complete history and purpose, I could, but not a random hole in Midgard," he replied.

I nodded. Loki and I walked deeper into the woods before we felt a cold blast of air come from in front of us. Loki stopped and held me back by an arm. In front of us was nothing but dead leaves and dirt. Loki knelt down and picked up a stick. He tossed it, and within a flash of light, it disappeared.

"There it is," he said.

I looked up worriedly at him.

"Can Frost Giants come up through it?" I asked.

He looked down at me.

"How did you land in Jotunheim?"

I snorted.

"Right on my face," I said bitterly.

He nodded.

"Then it's presumable that you fell from on high. They can't make it through," he said, "They're stupid."

"How many do you think have fallen through this, though?" I asked, "I'm sure many animals have passed through it. Someone is bound to notice Midgardian creatures appearing in the same place over and over again," I said.

Loki stared at the invisible portal in thought.

"It's only a matter of time before this becomes a major issue," he said.

I nodded.

"I'll get to the bottom of it. For now," Loki paused and scorched a tree beside us, leaving a black circle in the trunk, marking the spot.

"Let's focus on getting you home," he said.

He took my hand and led me back out of the woods. At the treeline, we heard a jet. I pushed Loki back and looked up to the sky.

"Lots of air traffic today," he remarked.

I squinted as a flying object soared in from the north. It was no jet, but flew like one.

"We may have been spotted," Loki said lowly.

A red and gold object flew southwards.

"Is that…Stark?" I asked.

"I fear so," Loki replied.

Once out of sight and hearing range, Loki snatched my hand.

"We need to get out of here. Run," he ordered.

With that, we bolted out of the trees and back to the farmhouse. When we reentered the kitchen, Thor rushed us.

"I saw the metal man. He must have been informed of our arrival!" he said, his excitement dangerous in the tiny kitchen.

"We saw him, too," I said.

"Did you find the portal?" he asked.

"We did," Loki replied.

"How could the metal man have not seen the mark in the grass where we landed?" Thor asked, confused.

"I disguised it," Loki replied.

Thor exhaled sharply, like an angry bull.

"You need to take her home, brother. I will check—"

Overhead, two more jets flew over. We looked outside to see military jets head south where Stark had flown.

"Then again, if you leave, you may be caught for sure," Thor finished.

"It's a chance we'll risk," I said.

Loki looked down at me, shocked.

"Darling, we—"

"Loki! Take. Me. Home!" I demanded, "It's not safe for you here. It's not safe for me. Let Thor handle this. He's fully capable."

Thor nodded in agreement. Loki watched me with sad eyes. I closed my eyes.

"I didn't mean to use that tone with you. Just please, take me back to Asgard," I pleaded.

Loki sighed and stroked my cheek.

"Of course, love," he said.

I nodded and began to chew my nails nervously while the brothers briefly discussed Thor's course of action. I was beginning to a have a mild freak out. I had heard the stories of what happened to Loki on the helicarrier. I wasn't going to lose him now. I needed to get him back to the safety of Asgard.

"I will speak with the Avengers. If anywhere in all of the Nine Realms is safe for the two of you, it's headquarters," Thor spoke, "For now, go home."

Loki nodded.

"Report to me as soon as you receive word," he said.

Thor nodded. Loki and I quickly grabbed my belongings, enchanted to fit into three bags, and walked outside.

"Heimdall, we're ready," Loki said.

He took my waist, and in a flash, we were back in the Observatory, leaving Thor behind.


	6. These Scars

_"Loki!"_

"Odin, please!" Frigga begged.

"Father, we were-"

"Shut it!" Odin roared at Loki.

Loki looked down at Avery, who was on her knees in front of the king with shackles around her wrists. Loki closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Get her out of those!" he shouted at Odin.

"You dare raise your voice at me?"

"All-Father, please let me explain!" Avery cried.

Odin glared down at her.

"You have one minute to convince me not to cast you out," he threatened.

Avery nodded.

"Our lateness is a product of us being foolish, but I assure you, Loki did not touch me, nor did I touch him in an appropriate manner. We were merely star gazing," she explained.

"Father, she tells the truth. We just needed to get out of the palace for a while," Loki said.

"Your place is here, Loki," Odin said strictly, "However, Avery, I believe your welcome has run its course."

Avery looked devastated. Frigga covered her mouth, trying to suppress the urge to run over and hug the smaller woman. Loki felt tears prick his eyes.

"Please, let me stay, All-Father!" she pleaded, "I'll work off my punishment. I'll go to prison! I don't care. Just let me stay here! I have no home on Midgard."

"What makes you think you have a home here?" Odin asked darkly.

"I am appalled, Odin!" Frigga exclaimed.

Odin turned to the Queen.

"You would cast her out for coming home late, when she and Loki have done no harm?" she nearly shouted.

While the King and Queen fought, Avery looked up pleading at Loki.

"Loki," she whispered.

Loki, not caring about punishment, ran down to his friend, dropped to his knees, and hugged her close.

"Witches have no place here!" Odin snapped.

"Then do I have no place in your presence?" she asked, offended.

"There is a difference between an Asgardian sorceress and a damn Midgardian witch!" Odin spat.

Avery shuddered with a cry, the harshest of insults hitting her in the core. Loki held her tightly.

"There is no difference," he whispered to her.

"Guards! Get him away from that harlot!" the King shouted.

"She is not a harlot!" Loki screamed at him.

Two guards ripped him away from his best friend. Avery let out a heart-wrenching cry.

"Please, All-Father!" she cried, "I'll do anything. Please, don't make me go."

Odin stared at her for a moment.

"Send her to Midgard," he ordered.

Two guard swooped by and grabbed Avery, dragging her to Heimdall.

"No!" Avery screamed.

"Odin, my dear, please reconsider!" Frigga pleaded, "This young girl has done nothing wrong, nor has she ever done a wrong here."

"My decision has been made," Odin stated.

Avery cried loudly. Loki felt tears well up in his eyes, seeing his best friend in so much pain.

"Avery Dupont, I hereby cast you out of Asgard, and sentence you back in the life in which you belong," Odin ordered.

Avery looked to Heimdall, one of the only people outside of the royal family that had been kind to her. He looked down on her with amber eyes, his expression apologetic.

"Did you not see us?" she whispered.

"I did, but I cannot argue with the king's decision," he said.

Avery cried. She wished Heimdall could have spoken up, but it was not his place.

"At least let me say goodbye," Loki said in a last ditch effort to magic himself and Avery away and remove her cuffs.

"No, Loki!" Odin barked, then looked to Heimdall.

He nodded to Heimdall, drove his staff into floor, opening the Bifrost.

"Loki! Frigga!" Avery screamed.

Loki lurched for his friend, but she was already gone. He looked through the opening to the constellations outside in devastation. He then looked back to Odin. Oh, he would pay. 

***

"Does this suit your liking, Ave?" Loki asked from behind me.

I stared at the chambers around me. It was like a house inside of a skyscraper.

"These were the grandparents' chambers," he said, walking passed me, "I changed it to fit your liking. You can change it how you see fit."

"Your grandparents won't mind the walls being red?" I asked playfully.

Loki shook his head.

"It's just a room," he said.

I nodded. The room was a massive space, almost like a large food court in a mall on Midgard. It reminded me of an open concept living room. A large floor to ceiling window stood to my left. The ceiling was vaulted, two stories high. A fireplace, above which Loki had mounted my television, was made of pure white marble and stretched from the floor to high in the ceiling. A giant area rug with a glass coffee table, a red and gold sectional, and two matching tan chairs were seated around the television. Two boxes of my movies and another filled with cords and other movie-viewing necessities were placed on the coffee table. A fire was roaring in the fireplace, more for light than heat, a black chandelier hung from the ceiling, and two matching lamps, both looking from Midgard's Victorian era, sat upon the sectional's side tables. Sconces dimly accented the room. One the far side was a dark wood door, and beyond it, an exquisite bathroom of black, silver, crystal and white marble. Next to the bathroom door was a curving staircase leading up to the bedroom.

"This is different from the others. Does the King's chambers look like this?" I asked.

Loki half-smiled.

"It is similar," he said distantly, then after a moment, turned to me, "Do you like it?"

I smiled and nodded.

"Soon it will feel like home," I said thoughtfully, then glance over at him, "It's beautiful, Loki. Thank-you."

Loki walked over to me and took my lips as his. I cupped his jaw and kissed back.

"It's so good to have you back," he said lowly and pressed his forehead to mine.

I smiled up at him.

"I never thought in the days of your exile that I would have a chance to stand with you again," he said sadly, "To tell you that I loved you. To hold you."

Loki held my cheeks in his palms.

"To kiss you."

I smiled a smile so happy it made my cheeks hurt. Loki smiled and took my hands between his and kissed me again. I wanted this small moments with him to last forever. I wanted to be drowned his attentions after being away from his touch for so long.

"I've never known you to be such a romantic. Flirt, yes, but this?" I asked.

"You bring out the absolute worst in me," he teased.

I laughed and he collided his lips with mine, this time more passionately.

At the door, a knock sounded.

"WHAT?" I barked viciously.

Loki snorted and tried not to die laughing.

"I-I-I do apologize, my lady," stammered the voice of a guard, "but I was told I could find the king at these chambers."

Loki groaned and the outline of him illuminated green. He focused on the door, and I could hear his voice outside the door. I watched in awe as he performed the illusion.

"Your presence is requested in the dining hall, your Majesty," the guard said, "The ball is ready to commence."

"Damn," Loki muttered.

"A ball?" I asked an all too focused Loki.

"The feast has already ended, my Lord," the guard went on.

"Send my condolences to the family. I had an emergency and cannot make it to the ball, but send my wishes and I will have a gift waiting on their doorstep by morning. Have dinner sent to these chambers for Lady Avery and myself," Loki ordered.

"Yes, my Lord," the guard said, then there was a shuffling of feet.

Loki zapped his projection back to him and looked down slyly at me.

"You little liar," I whispered.

"I have no patience for balls. Never did in my youth, and certainly not now. I have no attachment towards the family, anyway. It was a coming of age ball for a noblewoman," he spat.

I curled my lip.

"Sounds boring," I commented.

"Indeed. One I would rather not wreck with my presence," he said.

I frowned and reached up to touch his cheek. I couldn't imagine what was going on in his mind. To be burdened with the throne, trying to redeem himself, and being hated by the lot of his people. Jotun by blood or not, they were still his people.

"I'll still have you," I said.

Loki sighed heavily and wrapped his arms around my waist. He touched his forehead to mine, keeping his eyes closed. I pulled his slender body into a hug.

"Do you think this will cause so sort of war with the Frost Giants?" I asked, "The portal?"

Loki sighed and pulled back.

"Don't dwell on it now, darling," he said, tucking my hair behind one ear.

"But-"

"Ave, shh," he said, putting his index finger to his lips.

That shut me up!

Loki gave me this smoldering stare.

"I didn't think that would work," he said.

I rolled my eyes.

"So obedient," he purred.

I stared at him like he was crazy, while on the inside, flames were igniting.

"Don't get used to it," I retorted.

Loki grinned and hugged the crap out go me.

"Ow. Okay, that's enough. You're stronger than me," I reminded him.

Loki immediately let go.

"Sorry, love. Did I hurt you?" he asked worriedly.

I couldn't contain the smile that formed on my face. He was so caring. How is it he was of Jotun blood? The only ones I've met were brainless savages.

"I'm fine, Loki. My side is still a little tender, but other than that," I said with a shrug.

Loki took my hand.

"Come to the couch. Let me examine it," he said.

I allowed him to take me to the couch. I sat beside him in the light of the fireplace.

"Do you mind if I have a look?" he asked, being a total gentleman about it.

I smiled and lifted the hem of my t-shirt, revealing my stomach. Loki leaned down and lightly touched his fingertips to the tender spot.

"I barely see it, now," he said.

I smiled and looked down at him.

"You're a good healer, Loki," I said softly.

He looked up at me and smiled warmly. He then looked back down at the many other scars littering my skin.

"I could make these vanish, too, if you would like?" he asked, "I can't erase the memories, but I can remove the evidence."

I nodded slowly.

"There's a lot of them," I warned him.

He just smiled lovingly.

"I can take care of them. Just be still for me, sweetheart," he said.

Loki touched my stomach, holding the sides with both hands. Warm magic spread across my abdomen. I let out a small moan as sweet, healing energy coated me. Loki drew the magic down my legs, over my back and down my arms.

"Does that feel good?" he asked.

I merely nodded. It felt like pure energy that was all Loki's his presence ten-fold. Like his soul was melting all over my skin, if that makes sense.

"Look at you stomach, Ave," he spoke.

I opened my eyes and looked down. My skin, which had been decorating with pink and white lines of shiny skin, was as clear as Loki's perfect complexion. I gasped checked my arms, then pulled my jeans up to see my legs their original paleness.

"Oh my God! Thank-you!" I exclaimed and jumped up to hug him.

Loki chuckled.

"You're welcome," he said.

I scooted down on the couch and rolled over to lay my head in his lap. There was a knock at the door.

"That would be our feast," he said, the looked over his shoulder, "Enter."

I heard the door open and the sound of clinking dishes.

"Table," Loki ordered.

"Yes, my Lord," a servant spoke.

Loki rested an arm across my chest, his hand resting close to my neck. I reached up and lightly massaged his hand and fingers, feeling a man's hand that I knew would never wrap around my neck. Loki remained silent as he ran his fingers through my hair. I glanced up at him. Loki had a different aura about him. A very positive one. An honest one. One of pure power. An aura connecting strongly with mine. I knew in that moment, his devotion was pure. He would fight for me—die for me. As would I for him.

The servants set the table and the smell of food made my stomach growl. Loki looked down at me.

"Are you hungry, my darling?" he purred.

I smirked and sat up to kiss him.

"Yes, my King," I said playfully.

Loki's eyes looked like blue fire.

"You will be the undoing of me," he said lowly.

I took his chin in my fingers.

"That was the plan, my dear," I said playfully.

Whether or not this portal caused a war, I knew Loki and I both would be at war with each other, trying to out-love the other.

***  
**Los Angeles, CA**

A body made entirely of metal landed in the driveway of its billion dollar home. A silver car with a slender body in front of it, stood in her business suit and strawberry blonde hair tied into a sleek ponytail, glaring at the red and yellow mass in front of her. The face plate on the metal man slid up, revealing its alias, Tony Stark, underneath.

"Um, Pepper…what are you doing?" he asked.

Tony walked over to the car and peered in to see suitcase.

"I had to end a, might I say, fantastic kiss and you try to leave me?" he asked jokingly.

Pepper pursed her lips.

"Your things are in there, too. The essentials, anyway," she replied.

Tony was intrigued.

"That's all I need. Where are we going? France? Venice? Please tell me it's Venice!"

Pepper closed her eyes and groaned.

"Tony!"

"Or is it something more exotic? I've heard Asia is the in vacation spot this year," he went.

"No, Tony! You got that call and it…well, I just wanted to be prepared," she said.

Tony's face fell. Ever since the horrors he had face with The Mandarin, losing all he owned, nearly losing Pepper, every call to action scared them.

"Pepper, it was only a precautionary check. Nothing to worry about," he assured her.

Pepper sighed. Tony cupped her cheek.

"Let's go inside," he said, "I want to finish that kiss."

Pepper cracked a smile and put her arms around Tony's neck.

"What about now?" she asked.

"Even better," he said.

Pepper smiled as he pressed his lips to hers.

"Sir, you have an incoming visitor," JARVIS spoke.

Tony reluctantly broke the kiss. Pepper just smiled at him.

"I have to get to work," she said.

"Call in sick," Tony said.

"The CEO cannot call in sick," she snapped.

"I can vouch for you," Tony insisted.

Pepper smiled and gently pushed him away. On high, they could hear Tony's incoming visitor.

"I'll pick you up for lunch?" Tony asked.

Pepper just smiled.

"That sounds better," she said.

Pepper walked across the driveway and opened the garage to pick another car. Clouds swirled above Tony's home, as if a storm was coming in at super speed. Thunder cracked high in the clouds. Lightning flashed and a figure shot out of the clouds. Tony stood his ground as a familiar blonde man, landed in front of him, his hammer looking strangely out of place in his hands.

"Someone's been shopping," Tony remarked, referring to Thor's simple t-shirt and jeans.

Thor took a few deep breaths. He had been in such a hurry to find Stark, that he had nearly forgotten to breathe.

"Might I have a word with you?" Thor asked, his voice booming and echoing off of the strange angles of Tony's ultra modern home.

"Yeah, sure," Tony said casually.

Pepper pulled out of the garage and stopped the car when she saw Thor. She nervously waved.

"I'll see you at noon, Tony. Good morning, Thor," she said, looking slightly frightened.

Thor politely bowed to her.

"My lady," he said.

Tony saw the blush rise on Pepper's cheeks as she put the car in gear and drove away. Tony clapped his metal hands together, resulting in a muffled clink.

"Would you like a drink, Point Break? I would," Tony said.

He turned and began to walk inside, pieces of his suit flying off of him. Thor followed behind.

"I apologize if I interrupted you, but this is an urgent matter. It could not wait," Thor said.

Tony waved him off.

"That's fine," he said, "Beer?"

It was early in the morning, but to Tony, any time was a good time. He needed the alcohol to keep him from having an anxiety attack. He had had a good streak, and he was not about to break it now.  
Thor followed Tony into the kitchen and watched as he opened the refrigerator. Midgardian alcohol was far too weak to have an affect on him, but he still found himself wanting one.

"Yes, please," Thor said.

Tony tossed Thor a longneck before grabbing one for himself.

"What brings you here, big guy? Some Avengers mission, because if it is, I'm out of service. Trying to plan a wedding and this and that," Tony said.

"That was actually my question for you, Stark. About the Avengers," Thor said.

Tony took a swig of his beer and looked on at Thor, puzzled.

"You're here on your own?" he asked.

Thor nodded. For the time being, he was.

"I cannot divulge much yet, but I thought you would be the first to know of any happenings with the One-Eyed Man," he explained, taking a drink of his own beer.

Tony smiled.

"I haven't heard a peep out of Fury. Why? What's going on? You seem pretty upset," he said.

Thor set his jaw.

"A portal was found on Midgard. In the northern part of this state," Thor explained.

Tony stared at Thor in horror and set his bottle down.

"That must have been the disturbance the military called me about. They said there was something weird in the atmosphere and they wanted me to come check it out."

Thor said nothing. He knew it was his, Loki and Avery's arrival that had caused the alarm, but one mention of Loki and the entire Earth would go into a frenzy.

"You knew not of the portal?" Thor asked.

Tony shook his head.

"Where does it go?" he asked.

Thor sighed. He chose his words carefully. If he outright said Jotunheim, he would have to explain how he knew, which would bring danger over his brother and dear friend.

"We believe it could be Jotunheim. There could be portals everywhere. In this realm and another. We just have to find out where they are, what their purpose is, and who made them," Thor said.

"Oh yeah. Sounds simple," Tony said sarcastically, "How are they in existence? The Tesseract?"

"The Tesseract is safe on Asgard. It isn't in use. These are different portals. Carefully hidden for any innocent person to fall into and die," Thor said.

Tony nodded.

"Sounds like someone is devising a trap. The question is: for who?" he said.

"I wish I could tell you," Thor said.

Tony nodded.

"I won't inform S.H.I.E.L.D. They'll think it's the Tesseract and all hell will break loose. They have a happy for the thing," he said bitterly.

Thor furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"It's a vulgar phrase. I really don't want to deal with them. I just want a year of peace. That's it," Tony said.

"I'm not employing you, Stark. I only have questions. I mean to protect this planet. If portals are opening between Realms, I will need assistance. Everything could fall apart if these portals are used with means of destruction. I cannot let that happen," Thor said sternly.

Tony thoughtfully chewed his bottom lip.

"Should we assemble?" he asked Thor.

Thor stood from his seat and finished off his beer.

"Not so soon. I have business on Asgard to finish, but I will soon return. Please update me if you hear any new news," he said.

Tony saluted him.

"Can do," he said.

"Thank-you, Stark. I appreciate your understanding," Thor said politely.

Tony gave Thor a sincere smile.

"I have your back, big guy. Safe travels," he said.

Thor smiled at Tony and nodded to him before spinning on his heel and taking the last swig of his beer.

"JARVIS?"

"Yes, sir?" JARVIS asked, his voice coming from know where.

"What's a portal made of?"

***

Loki slowly blinked, his focused on nothing physical, save for the woman peacefully napping on his stomach. Loki lightly ran a bent index finger down her cheek repeatedly, soothing her and him as they rested after their long day. Loki's mind was not on the portals. He could care less. He was trying desperately to keep himself calm, and keep his anger at bay as he thought of the scars that littered Avery's body. He recognized what was done by blades, by glass, by wood. He could only imagine her at her worst, trapped and wondering what she had done wrong. He felt so selfish. He had been worrying about the throne, while she suffered. He had never wanted that for her. She had been marked by men who had no right to even look at her with impure thoughts. They had no right to touch her. To make her cry. He was the only one, in his mind, allowed to touch her, but only with the gentlest and most loving of intentions. He hated those who touched scarred her, and he wanted them dead.  
Avery stirred and her eyes fluttered open. Loki watched her and draped an arm across her chest. She glanced up at him upside-down and smiled.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to crash on you like that," she said.

Loki just smiled.

"I _guess_ you're forgiven," he teased.

Avery smiled sleepily and hugged his arm. Loki felt the most minuscule of flutterings in his chest. Avery had always hugged his arms. Whether it was seeking comfort, linking her arm with his in a cheerful manner, or when she was in danger and he held her back with his arm. She was always at his side. He loved it. It made him feel wanted, and made him want to protect her all the more.

"You need to go to bed, my dear," he said.

She sighed.

"I know."

Avery gently removed his arm and sat up. Loki just watched as she pushed her hair out of her face.

"I'm going to go see what the bathroom is all about. Have a long, hot soak and get to bed," she said.

Avery reached up and took his chin in her fingers.

"You're exhausted, Loki," she said softly.

Loki took her hands and pressed his lips to her knuckles.

"I'm fine," he said.

"Loki, don't. You march your butt to bed and get some sleep for me, okay?"

Avery pecked his lips. Loki smiled down at her.

"Alright, sweetheart," he said to pacify her.

Avery stood from the couch and held her hands out for him. He took them and stood, towering over her. He tilted her chin up and kissed her deeply.

"Sleep well, my darling," he said.

Avery smiled.

"You too, Loki. And thank-you for staying here for dinner instead of that ball. You didn't have to do that," she said.

Loki smiled and caressed her cheek.

"I would do anything to be in your presence. You can be assured of that," he replied.

Avery looked away shyly. Loki hugged her and kissed her forehead before letting her go.

"Shall we dine on the balcony for breakfast in the morning?" he asked.

Avery smiled.

"Sure, Loki," she replied.

Loki took the chamber door's handle in his hand.

"If you need me, don't hesitate to send for me. I'll be here for you," he said.

Avery seemed to smile wider. It sent a pleasant chill through him.

"Who knows?" he went on, "I may be here when you wake up."

Avery snorted.

"Go to bed, sweetheart," she said.

Loki smiled.

"Goodnight, my love," he said.

With that, he shut the door. He would go to bed. Just not yet. He had something else to do first.


	7. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

"It is quite late, my King," Heimdall spoke, "Almost a new day. You should use this time for rest."

Loki strode into the Observatory and stood in from of his gate keeper, his feet casually apart and his hands clasped behind his back.

"Rest can wait. I need you to locate a few people for me," he spoke.

Heimdall nodded.

"I can see a trillion souls at once. Who would you like me to pinpoint, sire?" he asked.

"The men who laid hands on Avery. Every single one of them," Loki replied.

Heimdall cast a casual glance at that cosmos beyond.

"There are three, my King," he said.

"Are they living?" Loki asked.

"I am saddened to say that they are indeed alive," Heimdall replied.

"Where is their location?"

"The place known as Los Angeles, California," Heimdall replied.

Loki nodded. They had not moved from their location.

"Are they imprisoned?" Loki asked.

He would need to create a special strategy to break into the prison, or prisons, to do his deeds.

"Unfortunately, they are not, my King," Heimdall spoke.

Loki snapped his head up to the gate keeper, horrified.

"What?" he snapped.

"They roam free," Heimdall said.

Loki let out an animalistic snarl.

"How is it they are not locked up for their deeds?" he asked.

A fleeting thought cross his mind. He, too, should be wasting away in the Asgardian prisons. However, he had never so much as touched a woman the way these men had, much less any human. As he recalled, they attacked him first. They did not realize what the Chitauri had done to warp his mind. The spells. The threats.

"They seemed to have persuaded Midgardian law otherwise," Heimdall spoke.

Loki's own misdeeds aside, these men who had hurt his Avery had to be punished.

"Where might I find them?" he asked.

"They reside in the top floor of an abandoned meat packaging facility in the center of the city," Heimdall replied.

Loki nodded and walked over in front of the opening.

"Send me there, Heimdall," he ordered.

"I suggest you move in the shadows, my King. Out of the eyes of the mortals and their protectors," Heimdall warned him.

Loki nodded and adjusted his hand armor.

"If you get on their radar," Heimdall went on, "They will surely kill you."

Loki smirked.

"I know what I'm doing," he said, then looked over his shoulder, "Trust me."

Heimdall did not express his amusement as he opened the gate and watched his King drown in cosmic glow and shoot to Earth. He secretly wanted vengeance for Avery as well.  
Loki landed atop of a warehouse next door to the meat packaging plant. He landed crouched, but quickly stood and swiped magic across the roof, making the ornate stamp the Bifrost had made disappear. When it was successfully erased, Loki grinned. So far, so good.  
Below his building, sirens rang and horns from cars honked. Thinking he had been seen, Loki ducked and ran to the front, hiding behind a rooftop air conditioner to see. Down in the street, a cop had a man pulled over and was handcuffing him while another officer checked the vehicle for weapons, drugs, and other illegal items. Cars drove by. Shady looking people walked the streets, begging for trouble. This was one of the worst sorts of neighbors. In Loki's opinion, the best place for the trash that had harmed his love. No one had seemed to notice his arrival, but that did not mean he had gone completely unnoticed.

"Thor, if you can hear me," Loki spoke lowly, "Keep S.H.I.E.L.D. distracted for me."

With that, Loki moved over to the side of the building, overlooking the alleyway. Down near a dumpster, he heard a woman's muffled scream and the voice of a man. He could see their silhouettes, and his voice loud and clear.

"Somebody-" she tried to cry, but the man slapped her to the ground.

Loki could have cared less who the woman was, and knew she was most likely a prostitute or some disease infested or drugged up streetwalker, but he knew this was one of the men that had scarred Avery, and he felt sick as the image of her in that position crossed his mind. With that, Loki yanked a dagger out of its holster and jumped, flying down with more elegance than any human who decided to jump from a seven story building.

"Oh, fuck yeah!" the man moaned.

Loki could have vomited. He aimed himself and smacked right into the guy, accidentally knocking the poor woman to the ground and sending the short, lump of a man rolling away. The woman whimpered and crawled away, trying her best to cover herself. Loki strolled over to the man, his dagger shining blue from the streetlights seeping through the thick darkness of the alleyway.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" the man shouted at Loki.

Loki grinned wickedly.

"I am someone you should never have crossed," he said.

The man laughed.

"Bah! I've never seen your face in my life!" he spat.

Loki snorted.

"Now, I don't believe that," he said smoothly.

Loki seemingly flew down to the man, pinning him done with god-like strength. The man spluttered in shock.

"What is your name, you pathetic sack of shit?" Loki growled.

Such foul language was beneath him, but for this situation, there were no other words.

"Who wants to know?" the man asked.

Loki took the man's thick throat in his hand. The man choked and held his hands up in surrender.

"Charlie! Charlie!" he said quickly.

Loki leaned down to Charlie's face, putting more pressure on his throat.

"You think it's okay to go around locking women up and raping them for your own sick pleasure?" Loki asked venomously.

Charlie snorted.

"Hey, man! A fuck's a fuck!" he said.

Loki snarled. He withdrew his dagger. Charlie only had a split second to set his eyes upon it before Loki slashed his throat, slowly, letting him know that he was dead. Charlie gurgled and spluttered. Blood spewed on Loki, but he paid no mind. He watched as the light faded from the man's eyes.

"You will never hurt another again," Loki whispered dangerously.

Charlie grunted, and Loki felt him die. He then stood and kicked the man in the face, breaking his jaw.  
Loki magicked away the blood and turned to see the woman shaking in fear. He calmly walked over to her and knelt down in front of her. He had no idea what was making him do this. A need for redemption? His wishing that he could have saved Avery from this? Maybe. Whatever it was, he felt compelled to do it.  
The woman screamed as he came face to face with her.

"Loki," she gasped.

Loki's shoulders dropped. She recognized him.

"I mean you no harm. Please," he said, holding up a hand.

Tears spilled down the woman's face. She was young, maybe Thor's mortal's age. Loki knew just by her matted hair and the smell of cigarettes on her breath that she was not running with a good crowd. In a bad place or not, she did not deserved to be raped in the back alleys of Los Angeles.  
Loki held out his hand, producing a $20 bill.

"We've both most likely have committed wrongs. Take this and do a right," he said.

The woman looked like she had never seen anything more than a dollar in her life. She took it like a starved dog takes a piece of meat.

"Thank-you," she breathed out.

She gathered herself and ran back to the street. Loki watched until she disappeared. High above him, he could hear voices through the broken windows.

"Lester! Where ya goin'?"

"Chill! I'm gonna see what that noise was!"

Loki replaced his dagger and ran for the side of the building, stealthily entering. He slunk through the building to the staircase. The staircase was made of metal grates that one could see through, and the large building made noises echo off it's walls. He could see the man called Lester coming down. Outside, sirens blared. The windows illuminated with red and blue lights. He didn't have much time to finish these men off.  
With a flick of his wrist, every screw in the staircase came loose, thousands of them falling, then the stairs. Lester screamed and fell, crashing with a sickening thud. Loki's sensitive ears could hear his bones breaking. Lester moaned and tried to move. Loki walked over to him and looked down on him. He was a scrawny man, with sores on his face from drugs, yellow and black teeth, and eyes pink.

"Who the hell are you?" he squeaked out, his words slurred from drunkenness, missing teeth, and Loki was sure, brain damage.

Loki loomed over him.

"I am Loki," he growled, "of Asgard."

Lester's eyes widened and he burst out laughing.

"Loki, eh? Man, Vince used to have this bitch we was fuckin' and she'd scream that name all night. We about had to beat her senseless just to get her to shut up."

Loki's rage boiled to its peak. He let out a cry and drove a dagger into the man's guts. The man stared at nothing in complete shock. Loki twisted the dagger, scrambled the man's internal organs. The man laid there, quickly becoming pale. Loki violenty twisted the man's head, breaking his neck and instantly killing him.

"Two down," he said.

"Hey, you!" a voice called from the darkness.

Loki heard the distinct click of a gun being cocked.

"Stand," the man said.

Loki removed his dagger from the body and slowly stood, magicking his dagger back into his pockets as he stood with his hands up.

"You the police or something?"

Loki could see a figure in the dark, slowly approach with a cigarette in his mouth and a gun pointed at Loki. He was a tall, dark-skinned man, heavily muscled like a body builder and tattooed from head to toe.

"Far from it," Loki replied.

"Your name sounded familiar," he said.

Loki began to walk towards the man. He wasn't afraid of him or his gun. He was a god, after all.

"It should," he said.

The man kept his gun pointed at Loki as he drew closer and began to circle around him.

"What gang you from? I know I've seen you somewhere. You must be from 241. Or MayhemCo," he said.

Loki looked genuinely confused.

"I am not from a gang," Loki said, "I'm here for vengeance."

The man curled his lip.

"Give me five good reasons why I shouldn't shoot your faggot ass down right here!" he snapped.

Loki smirked.

"Three years ago, you took something of mine. A woman. You kept her captive for a year," he said.

"Your girl?" he asked.

Loki calmly strolled the man, completely ignoring the gun.

"Her name is Avery," he said.

The man laughed.

"Ah yeah! That girl. Man, it must burn your ass to know what I did to that bitch," he said.

Loki slowly and gave the man a deadly look.

"What a fine cunt she was," he said, taking a long, deep drag from his cigarette.

Loki lost it and screamed as he lurched for the man. The man shot at Loki, but either missed, or the bullets bounced off of his armor. Loki magicked the gun from his hands and punched him in the stomach, ducked a swing, and socked the man in the jaw. The guy stumbled back, but quickly recovered. He swung at Loki, hitting him in the stomach. Loki didn't feel it. He grabbed the man's massive arm and yanked it backwards. The man howled as Loki tore connective tissue and broke his elbow backwards. While in sheer agony, he knocked the man to the ground and summoned the gun. He drove a dagger into the man's chest, then pinned him to the ground with the gun at the man's head.

"What is your name, scum?" Loki growled.

The man smiled.

"Vince," he replied.

Loki put his finger on the trigger.

"Vince, have fun in hell," he snarled.

Loki pulled the trigger, blasting Vince's brains all over the floor. He took a deep breath and tossed the gun aside. He did it. Vengeance was his. Never would these men walk the Earth again.  
Loki took his dagger and fled to the alley just as the cops burst in. He leapt up fire escapes and back to the roof he landed on.

"Bring me home, Heimdall," he said out loud.

The sky opened up, and Loki soon found himself back on Asgard. Heimdall bowed to him.

"Lady Avery would be proud of you and what you did for that lost woman," Heimdall said, "I am glad you had a chance to stop them."

Loki smirked.

"The pleasure was all mine," he said smoothly, "Is Avery sleeping?"

"Indeed she is. That is where you should be as well, my King," he said.

"What are you? My father?" Loki snapped, not necessarily mad, but slightly annoyed.

"I fear that more than a skirmish between yourself and Midgardian low-lives is imminent," Heimdall said.

Loki groaned.

"Can you see something?" he asked.

"Nothing yet, my Lord," Heimdall replied.

Loki sighed in relief.

"Then I must rest. Goodnight, Heimdall," he said.

"Goodnight," Heimdall said.

They bowed, then Loki vanished to his chambers to recuperate.

***

I awoke the next morning, feeling warm, yet still slightly tired. My sheets were warm, as was the lighting in my room. The walls were tannish-yellow, mixed in with decor with an oil-rubbed finish. I felt like I was in Italy. The room, as well as the rest of the royal chambers, was absolutely stunning. The best part? It was officially my home. I had real place to call home that I was not ashamed of, friends at my fingertips, and the man I loved just right down the hall. I was officially part of the most beautiful city in all of the Nine Realms. As I looked up at the ceiling, I could still barely believe it.  
I looked to my bed side to a clock. It was midmorning. I had slept in, sure I had missed breakfast. Loki would never had woke me. Let me sleep and come find me later. I'm sure he was busy at the throne, anyway.  
I rolled over to see a face facing me. I shoved an elbow underneath myself and propped myself up, ready to kill whatever the hell it was in my bed. However, when I recognized the face as Loki's, I sighed in relief and laid back down, my head falling into the ultra plush pillows. I rubbed my face as I tried to calm my rapid heart rate. I wasn't sure what I initially thought was sharing the bed with me, but I shouldn't have been surprised.  
I looked to my side to see him tightly curled up under the covers, his expression lacking that peace it had the morning before. I reached over and took a piece of his air between my fingers. Oddly, it was slightly damp, as if he had just washed it some time ago. What time had he gone to bed?  
I looked down to see him wearing a black shirt. The rest of him was covering in my black blankets. However, a new blanket had been added. A massive, plush comforter made of satin and as green as Loki's armor. His comforter from his room. I sat up and moved over closer to him. I curled an arm around him and touched my forehead to his. Something was bothering him. Something most likely terrible. Had it been a night terror? General worry? His thoughts getting the best of him? News from Thor? I had a feeling that was it.  
Loki breathed in deeply and opened his eyes slowly, as if his eyelids were made of lead. He didn't look at me at first, but after he yawned, his blue eyes met mine. He smiled softly and pulled his arms out of the covers and wound them around me.

"Good morning, darling," he said warmly.

I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Good morning. You're a lovely sight to wake up to," I replied.

And boom! There goes his ego. The vain little shit.

Loki grinned, his eyes lit up like the world at Christmas.

"Oh, you don't say?" he asked.

I just laughed at him. Loki took my cheek in his palm and kissed me tenderly.

"You're even more love, my sweet Avery," he purred.

Loki took my mouth again. I smiled and held his jaw as his lips moved against mine.

"Decided this was a more comfortable bed?" I asked teasingly.

Loki smiled.

"I was going to come wake you up for breakfast, but when I saw how comfortable you were, I couldn't bare to wake you," he said, stroking my cheek.

"How gentlemanly," I popped off.

Loki smirked.

"Can I not be a gentleman?" he asked, mockingly offense to my comment.

"For your own personal gain, yes," I replied.

Loki snorted and gazed down at me with this smoldering stare.

"Okay, yes, I wanted to get a few hours of sleep, but can I not spend some quality time with you, love?"

I smiled and lightly stroked his jawline with my fingers.

"So you brought your comforter?" I asked.

Loki smiled meekly.

"I was wearing it when I came in," he replied.

I burst out laughing. The image of Loki walking down the corridors in his sleepwear with his comforter wrapped around him like a coat was too much.

"What?" he exclaimed, "I was tired. I wanted to be with you. I was cold."

I snorted and shook my head.

"I could care less if anyone saw me. I was in foul mood," he ranted.

I smiled and stroked his head, pulling him to me.

"Sounds like you're seeking attention," I said accusingly.

Loki was quiet for a moment.

"Well, yes," he said in that "Duh, you idiot!" tone.

I laughed and kissed the top of his head.

"Your hair is still damp, sweetheart. When did you go to bed?" I asked.

Loki groaned.

"I was hoping it'd be dry," he grumbled.

I moved down to look at him.

"You were up all night, weren't you?" I asked.

Loki narrowed his eyes at me.

"My dear Avery, why would I do such a thing?" he asked sarcastically.

"Don't lie to me. I know you far too well. I found you countless times pacing the halls when we were younger," I said.

Loki glanced up at me and smiled.

"And why, pray tell, were you prowling the palace corridors late at night?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes.

"I like the night. And maybe I was up to a bit of mischief," I said.

Loki gave me a crooked smile and kissed me deeply. When he pulled back, we were both nearly breathless.

"I had things to do. That's all," Loki said, answering my question.

I took his chin in my fingertips.

"You are going to make yourself so weary before you even make it to Odin's age," I said.

I wonder how old Odin really is?

"Don't fret, darling," he said.

Loki sat up and flipped his covers off of him. He was wearing a black, short-sleeved top and olive green pants. Not so different from my worn gray top and black sweats I was in.

"Would you like to have breakfast here, or meet me on the balcony?" he asked.

I smirked.

"It's a nice day," he said, his eyes glancing to the window.

"Well—"

I was interrupted by a knocking at my chamber doors. Loki growled.

"The hell?" I asked.

"It's a guard. Excuse me," he said.

Loki froze as he projected himself outside my door.

"Do you have no respect?" I heard him snap.

"My Lord, I was informed you were in these chambers," the guard said.

There was a clinking of armor, indicating a bow.

"You do not knock on these doors unless you are expected. Is that clear?" Loki spat.

"Of course, my King, but your presence is requested by Lady Sif and the Warrior's Three. They say it cannot wait."

Loki groaned.

"Tell them to be in the Throne room. I will arrive shortly," he said.

There was silence again. Loki flashed green and looked down at me.

"They never come to me for anything," he said.

"What do you think it is?" I asked.

Loki shook his head.

"I know not. Ave, get dressed. We'll take our breakfast on the go."

I nodded and scrambled out of bed, summoning my clothes and quickly rejoining Loki before rushing out the door.

***

Fandral, Volstagg, and Lady Sif strode into the throne room. Two guards were standing by, but the grand room was void of servants, much less the King. When they walked in, they looked around in awe. The three had been in battle for weeks, and their last memories of the throne room had been that of disrepair. Now, as they walked in, they were speechless.

"What is this?" Volstagg asked in wonder.

Fandral laughed.

"I thought this place would be a sample of Jotunheim when Loki was done with it. Look at this!" he exclaimed.

Sif stared at the fully restored room with wide eyes.

"It's beautiful," she breathed out.

"I must say, Loki did an amazing job," Fandral said.

"Nevermind the room," Volstagg spoke up, "We need to focus on the problem at hand."

"What problem?"

***

I followed behind Loki, a drink in one hand and a bagel-like confection in the other. Loki had a cheek full of some sort of breakfast biscuit that he had just polished off as I followed him into the throne room. I could hear Volstagg and Fandral's voices echo off of the walls.

"What problem?" Loki asked.

We walked up to the throne. Sif, Fandral, and Volstagg were admiring Loki's handiwork with the room when they saw us. All three of them lined up and bowed. It really was a weird sight. Fandral and Volstagg had always picked on Loki, and now this? It was a little surreal.

"My King," Sif said, "We have found something in Vanaheim that needs to be brought to your attention."

Loki walked down to them, I following behind like a puppy. When Volstagg and Fandral saw me, they snuck a smile and a friendly wink. I just smiled at them as Sif spoke to Loki.

"Oh?" Loki inquired, an air of mischief about him.

"Yes. And," Sif looked around at the guards, "It's not something that should be public news."

Her indirect request for privacy did not process with Loki. He just stared at her for moment in silence.

"What did you find?" Loki asked calmly.

Sif made a face of discomfort.

"Fire Giants," she whispered.

Loki looked confused.

"Waging battle in Vanaheim?" he asked.

"They did not seem to have a purpose for being there," she replied.

Now I was confused.

"They just…_appeared_," Volstagg said.

I squinted and stared thoughtfully at the ground.

"We fended them off as best as we could, but just as we thought we were finished, another appeared," Fandral spoke.

My eyes widened. Fire Giants don't just randomly appear without a purpose.

"They don't _seem_ to be there to fight, but villagers think they are, and that's what started this mess," Sif said.

Loki remained deep in thought.

"Fire Giants randomly appearing in Vanaheim?" he questioned.

"They did seem a little lost," Volstagg said.

"Unless," I spoke up.

Sif, Fandral, and Volstagg looked at me.

"Loki, you don't think…" I trailed off.

Loki looked down at me. When it hit him, his eyes widened. He spun around to face the guards.

"All of you are relieved of your duties here for the hour. You may take a break, but be back in this room promptly within the hour," Loki ordered.

The guards nodded and marched out of the throne room. Loki then turned back to us.

"All of you, follow me," he ordered.

We nodded and closely followed behind Loki through the corridors of the palace. I was so focused on watching where I was going, I nearly jumped when an arm was casually tossed over my shoulders.

"I say, Avery, it is nice to see to see you walking these corridors again. Very good to see you well," Fandral said.

"Have care where you touch her," Loki said dangerously.

"Loki," I scolded.

Fandral just laughed.

"Don't mind him, Avery. He means well. I see you have not been fitted for Asgardian wear," he said.

"No, but maybe later, as I am officially a resident of Asgard," I said.

Fandral smiled widely.

"I do believe this has been a long time coming. Welcome to Asgard, officially," he said.

I smiled.

"Thank-you, Fandral."

"Maybe when Thor returns, we can all get caught up on old times," Volstagg said happily.

"We will not have time," Loki said.

We all looked up at him.

"Not if I'm right," he finished.

Loki led us down to a secluded door and with flourish of his hand, unlocked it. He then opened it for us and let us in. We thanked him as we entered. The room was nothing more than a storage room, loaded with buckets, cleaning clothes, tools, brooms, and bottles. An Asgardian janitor's closet, if you will.  
Loki locked the door and cast an enchantment to hide it so no servants would come knocking.

"Why have you brought us here?" Sif asked.

Loki walked back over to us.

"This isn't news I want heard yet," he said, "Did you find where the Fire Giants were entering Vanaheim from?"

The three of them shook their heads.

"We searched Vanaheim over. There is no evidence of a pathway," Sif replied.

Loki clenched his jaw.

"Unless, of course, we overlooked it," Fandral added.

Loki looked down at me.

"This is sounding more and more like what happened to me," I said quietly.

He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded.

"Forgive me, but you know what I'm thinking?" Fandral asked.

We all looked up at the blonde-headed man. Fandral made a circle with his hands.

"Portal," he said with wide excited eyes.

Loki straightened.

"Are you certain?" he asked.

"That is the only logical explanation," Sif spoke, "They aren't traveling by the Bifrost."

Loki let out a slow exhale as he closed his eyes.

"That is not the only portal we've found recently," I said.

The warriors looked confused. I nervously glanced up at Loki before continuing.

"There's another on Midgard. Right outside my old home. That's how Loki found me."

The three held expressions of confusion and fear.

"Where does it lead? Asgard?" Sif asked.

"Jotunheim," Loki replied darkly.

"Jotunheim?" Volstagg exclaimed.

"I was there retrieving a crystal for means of repairing the throne room when I found her," Loki explained.

"Did you see it?" Fandral asked Loki, "The portal?"

"I failed to noticed one in Jotunheim. However, I marked the spot where the other is. It is invisible to the eye," he replied.

"That must have been like the one in Vanaheim," Fandral thought out loud.

"Do you think they're the same? Same kind of portal?" I asked Loki.

Loki reluctantly nodded.

"It sounds like someone is trying to build a gate between Realms," Fandral said.

"They're not doing a very good job, I'd say," Volstagg commented.

"Indeed. Where might Hogun be?" Loki asked.

"Back in Vanaheim protecting his people," Sif replied.

Loki nodded.

"I want this news kept between us. Is that clear?" he asked.

We all nodded.

"Should we prepare for war?" Sif asked.

Loki smirked.

"Always so eager to kill," he said.

Sif glared at him.

"For the sake of Asgard…and my king, yes," she said.

Loki smiled.

"Prepare for battle, that much I can tell you. Ave, we need to relay this news to Thor as soon as possible," he said.

I nodded.

"You are dismissed," Loki said to the three warriors.

They filed out of the room. I grabbed Loki's sleeve.

"Loki, what are we going to do?" I asked.

He looked troubled as he shook his head.

"We wait. That's all we can do," he said.

I sighed and let my head fall back.

"Loki, I don't like this," I said.

"Neither do I. We're just going to have to wait until Thor's return," he said.

I still was not convinced. If someone was building bridges between realms, they needed to be stopped. What was more, was that innocent beings were falling into the traps.  
Loki reached up and cupped my jaw. I glanced up at him. A small smile appeared on his lips.

"Whatever happens, whether this is mild or not, I will keep you safe. I promise," he said.

I frowned.

"It's not me I'm worried about," I said.

Loki smiled.

"You needn't worry about me," he said.

I took his hand and led him out of the storage room.

"That's what you always say."

***

"Nat, don't let it touch you!"  
"I'm fine! Just help me drag this thing in."

Agent Clint Barton, also known as "Hawkeye" to S.H.I.E.L.D., aided his fellow agent Natasha Romanoff in pulling a makeshift body bag out of the bed of a Jeep.  
Natasha kicked the bag out, a sickening crunch of bones sounding from the ground. Clint curled his lip as the bag fell to his feet.

"Yeah. I'm sure this is how the coroners do it," he said.

Natasha groaned.

"Just call Fury. He needs to see this immediately," she said.

Clint nodded and placed his finger in his ear, activating his earpiece.

"Director Fury, Agent Romanoff and I have something you need to see," he said.

A few seconds later, Fury responded.

"_How important?_" Fury replied.

Clint looked down at the body bag.

"Sir, you're not going to believe it when you see it," he said.

"_Bring it in_," Fury replied.

Clint nodded to Natasha and helped her pick up the body bag. They had recently returned from a mission in Edinburgh, Scotland, helping hunt down a criminal whose arrest had been long overdue. While in the middle of pursuit, they were asked by an old farmer who they were. They could not divulge such information, but the farmer asked if they were with any government organization that could help him with his alien problem.  
He had discovered them in town, questioning a young man who was copping an attitude with Clint. Both agents were dressed in their uniforms, Natasha in her all black catsuit, and Clint in a black shirt and jacket, with black cargo pants and boots. The man stopped them are their way from speaking to the young man and told them about his issue.

"They keep eating my sheep!" the man exclaimed.

It was obvious he was devastated.

"Are you sure it's not some sort of predator? Wolves or something?" Clint asked.

"Not what I saw, young man," the farmer said, "Wolves don't walk on two legs, and they certainly are not transparent and kill by mere touch!"

That was all he had to say to convince the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to check out his property.

Natasha and Clint heaved the body bag onto a gurney in an examining room at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters. The room was cold, gray, and dark, with the only light source being the light above the gurney. Director Nick Fury strode into the room, two scientists alongside him.

"Did you bring me back a body?" he asked.

Natasha rushed over to a metal cabinet and fished out a pair of thick rubber gloves.

"Not just any body, sir," she replied.

Clint looked over at the scientists.

"If you guys are preparing to touch it, I suggest heavy gloves. One touch of this thing and you're gone," he said.

The scientists nodded.

"What the hell is it?" Fury asked.

Natasha pulled back the bag, dumping the contents out onto the gurney. The scientists gasped, but Fury did not reveal his reaction. On the gurney lay a skeleton-like creature, with a massive head and large, canine teeth. It had no skin to speak of, only a hollow, twisted version of the human skeleton. It's bones were narrow, elongated, and had different knots and sharp places, like it was made out of wood. The bones were a dark, blackish blue color.

"A farmer outside of Edinburgh approached us, saying he had a problem with aliens eating his sheep," Clint said.

Fury put his hands on his hips.

"Alien indeed," he said.

"This was the only one we found. We searched for more, and even a place it may have been living, but there were no discernible traces of alien life living near the farm," Natasha said.

Fury walked closer.

"What is all of this dust?" he asked.

A fine powder, the same color as the bones of the skeleton, littered the gurney.

"That was its heart, sir," Natasha replied, "Originally, it was a glowing orange organ. You can see it from a fair distance."

Clint approached with his arms crossed over his chest.

"The eyes, too," he said.

Fury nodded.

"And you say it kills by touch, Agent Romanoff?" he asked.

Natasha nodded.

"After I shot it down, a dog ran up to it and took one of its arms," she said.

"He didn't make it too far," Clint added.

Fury took a deep breath.

"Well, we all know that one lonely alien doesn't just appear on Earth. There will be others. Whether they landed here on purpose or not, they will terrorize this planet within a week's time," he said.

"So what form of action should we take, sir?" Clint asked.

"I will send some of my men to Edinburgh. See what information we can dig up. In the mean time…we'll have to call in some one who knows aliens better than we do," he said.

Natasha and Clint were momentarily confused.

"Someone who knows the _Realms_," he said.

Clint and Natasha exchanged surprised glances. Fury turned away.

"Good work, agents. You may retire for the night," he said.

Clint and Natasha nodded and marched out of the room without another word.

"Sir? What would you like us to do with this body?" a scientist asked.

"Freeze it. Lock it up. We will need it later," Fury replied.

The scientists nodded and set to work. Fury began to leave, a heavy feeling in his chest. He had just gotten rid of a bunch of damn aliens!

"Director!" a woman called from down the hall.

Fury turned to see his second in command, Agent Maria Hill, run up to him with a laptop in her hands.

"Sir, you have to see this," she said.

She handed Fury the laptop.

"What is this?" he asked.

"An atmospheric disturbance. We were able to pinpoint it in central Los Angeles," she said.

"When was this?" Fury asked.

"Two o' clock this morning, sir. Western time," she replied.

Fury growled. He wished he had been informed of this sooner.

"These look like the same readings that we had Stark go after," he said.

"They do. And what's more, right where the disturbance was located, three men were reported murdered. I brought up their files. One was a man named Charlie Winkler. Found with his throat slit in a alley. Another was Lester Fields, stab wound and broken neck, among other broken bones. Third was Vince Asher. Stab wound and gun wound to the head with his own gun. All convicted felons, sir."

Fury took a deep angry breath.

"Shit. Agent Hill, I want a full investigation on that area," he ordered.

"Right, sir," she replied.

"I have a feeling a certain man of mischief has return for more. If so, I intend to kill him myself."


	8. The News

**Avengers Tower  
New York City, NY**

Upon the discovery of the alien life form that Agents Romanoff and Barton had brought to light, Nick Fury declared a meeting with The Avengers at their tower in New York. Aliens were not Fury's forte, but he did not want this news getting to the World Council. That was the last thing he wanted, so his only choice of action to stay off of the government's radar was his team of gifted people. This also allowed the chance to bring Thor in to speak to him.  
At the tower, most of the Initiative had already arrived. Clint and Natasha arrived with Fury, and Dr. Bruce Banner, known to the world as The Hulk, arrived shortly after. Thor arrived on the roof, and entered the lounge at the same time Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, strolled in. Tony Stark arrived in his famous Iron Man suit, late as usual.

"Nice of you to finally show up, Stark," Fury said.

Tony was walking in off of the landing pad, his suit flying off of him and into its high-tech storage closet. He looked around to see Natasha and Clint standing near a projection screen, Natasha with a laptop in her hands. Steve, Dr. Banner were seated on the sectional, while Thor stood nearby, looking uptight as ever.

"You're late," Steve said.

Tony held an index finger in the air.

"Ah, yes! But, I'm here. What's the story, Fury. I have things to do. People to talk to," he said, clapping his hands together.

Fury eyed him.

"You will have to put your thing to do and people to talk to on hold. We have bigger problems," he said.

Tony sighed and plopped down on the couch beside Dr. Banner and pulled out his cell phone, seeming disinterested in the meeting as he texted Pepper. Fury ignored Tony.

"The night before last, three men were found brutally murdered in a warehouse beside a location where an atmospheric disturbance was recorded," Fury announced.

Natasha brought up the data, mirroring the laptop screen on the projector. Tony looked up at the screen, and with a button on his phone, hacked the data, sending it to JARVIS for analysis. Dr. Banner pushed his glasses down to examine this screen closer, while Steve seemed indifferent.

"A disturbance," Fury paused and glanced over at Thor, "Not unlike what you make when you return and leave from Earth."

Thor was suddenly nervous. Had they caught he, Loki, and Avery's arrival a few days ago?

"Where was this disturbance located?" Thor asked.

Natasha brought up a map of California. Fury pointed to it.

"Central Los Angeles, California. Happened around two in the morning," he replied.

Thor furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Would you happen to know anything about this?" Fury asked.

Thor shook his head.

"I know not of this occurance. However, I can assure you that I was not the one who caused it. At the time, I was with Jane and Dr. Selvig in the brand new Mexico," he said.

Tony snorted and the others displayed a small amount of amusement.

"New Mexico?" Fury asked.

Thor nodded.

"Yes, sir. We too were researching recent atmospheric disturbances. We did not see this one, though," he replied.

Fury nodded.

"Well, the evidence points to someone not of this planet. An atmospheric disturbance in a large city, and three murdered within twenty minutes of the occurrence? I'd say this was your brother's doing, if I'm not mistaken," he said.

Thor felt a rush of anger overcome him.

"Loki? He has no means on Earth. He is in Asgard where he belongs," Thor stated.

"He had no reason to attack Earth in the first place, yet we are still rebuilding," Fury said.

Thor clenched his fists. Killing three men in Los Angeles? For some odd reason, to him, it sounded like Loki's doing, but he would defend him until he found more information from the source.

"Loki has other things to worry about at the present time. He should not be blamed for this. To me, it sounds like mere coincidence," he replied.

Fury took a deep breath.

"I agree," Clint spoke up, "We have no proof. Besides, Loki is where he belongs. We have worse matters to discuss."

Fury looked back at the screen.

"Right. Agent Romanoff, bring up those pictures," he said.

Natasha nodded.

"Last night, Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff brought in a body that we believe is not of this planet. That is why I called you all here today. This news must not leave this room. God forbid it gets into the hands of the World Council," Fury said bitterly.

Natasha brought up a photo take the night before of the skeletal alien body, laying in its own heart dust on the gurney. A breathy gasp came from the Avengers.

"What the hell is that?" Tony exclaimed.

"We believe it to be an alien lifeform," Natasha calmly replied.

"We found it terrorizing a farmer's sheep in Edinburgh during a mission," Clint said.

Dr. Banner stood and approached the screen for a better look.

"Are you sure it's not some mutated or deformed dog?" he asked.

"If dogs had the same powers as the Grim Reaper," Clint said sarcastically.

Tony and Steve were confused. Thor just watched on curiously.

"Explain," Tony demanded.

"If you touch it, or it touches you, you immediately die," Natasha replied, her tone deadly serious.

Tony's eyes widened and he animatedly slapped the cushions.

"Oh, well, hell! There's a nice twist," he said sarcastically.

"Stark! I would appreciate a little more control," Fury scolded, his one eye staring dangerously at Tony.

Tony held his hands up.

"Fine. Fine. I'll be good. Go ahead, Nick," he said.

Fury rolled his eye.

"What is their purpose here on Earth?" Steve asked.

"That we don't know, but it will only be a matter of time before they run rampant. If there was one there will be more," he said.

"What are they?" Tony asked.

Fury glanced up at Thor.

"That's what we were hoping you'd know," he said to Thor.

Thor sighed and walked over to the screen.

"You know outer space and the Realms beyond," Fury went on.

"I do," Thor said.

He stood in front of the screen, standing next to a very focused Dr. Banner.

"But I have not seen a creature like this," he finished.

There was an air of disappointment about the room.

"Did it have skin?" Thor asked.

"No," Natasha replied.

Thor nodded.

"I fear I can be of no help identifying this beast. It looks similar to a demon from Muspelheim, had it spent a year of exposed decomposition," he said, "But it does have the characteristics of a demon."

"Just not any you have seen?" Fury asked.

"I have not traveled beyond the Nine Realms," Thor replied.

"It looks like something from Hell," Steve said.

Dr. Banner crossed his arms as he listened to the conversation around him.

"There is only one I know of who may be able to identify this creature," Thor said, "The only person I know who has explored the Realms beyond."

"And who would that be?" Fury asked.

The group of Avengers stared at Thor, anticipating the answer. Thor sighed heavily.

"My brother. Loki."

There was an immediate uproar from the Avengers.

"Forget it," Clint said bluntly.

"No way," Natasha said, shaking her head.

"Do not bring that psychopath back into our atmosphere," Steve pleaded.

Thor frowned. They had no idea where Loki had been, what he had done, and how he had changed. They were quick to prevent giving the newest King of Asgard a chance.

"Well, let's not be too hasty," Dr. Banner spoke up.

Everyone in the room shut their mouths and looked to the doctor.

"I mean, we will never find out what is if we don't ask. Loki may be a great help. He seems easily bargained with to get our answers. Besides, unless this is his doing somehow, he has no army and no reason to fight us."

"Besides, if he gets feisty, Bruce, you can give him the ole handshake," Tony said, waving his arm back and forth in reference to the Hulk's takedown of Loki.

Dr. Banner smiled and tried not to laugh.

"If Loki is brought here to identify this creature, he will give you no reason to propose a bargain or fight, if you don't give him a reason," Thor said.

Fury crossed his arms.

"Regardless of what Loki has done, it seems he is our only hope, as crazy as that sounds. Right now, our planet is threatened. One herd of sheep can turn into a full city of people if we do not get this under control now," he said.

"I second that," Dr. Banner said, "We can handle Loki if need be. For now, we need answers."

Tony raised his hand in the air.

"I third it," he said.

Thor was surprised by Tony's eagerness, but also grateful.

"I'm sure I can get some answers. Even if I can't bring him here," Thor said.

"Please don't," Clint said.

Thor ignored him.

"Do what you have to do, Thor," Fury said, then turned to the others, "I ask that the rest of you prepare to take up residence here. We have no idea what we're dealing with, and I'll be damned if I'm not prepared."

Thor nodded.

"Before we set up shop, may I go back with you and examine this body?" Dr. Banner requested.

Fury nodded.

"Of course," he replied, then looked to everyone else, "It's time to assemble."

***

I ran through the woods, looking over my shoulder every few seconds for signs of someone following me. It was early afternoon is Asgard. The temperature was not necessarily warm, as the winter months were approaching, but it was sunny and pleasant, and a perfect day to go out and train. In my exile, my skills and muscles (though there weren't many to begin with) had significantly weakened. I was excited to get back to touch up my skills and receive new battle lessons from Loki. Odin knows I needed it.  
Loki spent the remainder of his morning at the throne, doing the routine duties Odin once did. I spent my morning, with Fandral in the arena, practicing my skills with sword. Fandral insisted I familiarize myself with physical weapons in the case I may need them to battle anything that makes their way through the portals, and decided to start me off with a starters' sword. I was terrible at it, but it was a lot of fun spending time with him, Volstagg, and Sif, who still seemed not to like me too much. I didn't pay much mind to her anyway.  
After practice, I met Loki for lunch before we embarked on a private training session. He did not mind that I familiarized myself with weapons, but Loki said that he felt my powers were more of a skill of mind than brawn. I had to agree with him on that. He liked to use daggers, for they were a sneaky weapon, as he was a sneaky person. I just found more use out of spells than anything I could physically wield. Nevertheless, with powers of mind comes strength of mind, and Loki wanted me to have my wits about me. Placing me in the middle of the forest and abandoning me was a start. I was the hero in this little game, and he was the enemy. He was hunting me down, and I needed to fend him off on a moment's notice. I thought this exercise was perfect. After hearing what Fandral, Sif, and Volstagg had to say, this was the perfect way to practice—especially with a master of illusions, disguises, and mischief.  
Loki had me half-crazed near the end of our training. He had yet to catch me, and had outwitted most of my traps. I was at a disadvantage, for as a sorcerer, he could sense the presence of my magic, and tripped me up every time. It frustrated, but fueled me. Loki was never an easy one to beat, anyway. He was more experienced than me, born a fighter, and had several thousand years of learning under his belt. I was way behind, but that didn't matter. I was determined to learn and win this little game of his.  
I was walking down a trail when I saw Loki ahead of me, his back facing me. I stopped dead and crouched down, barely breathing to avoid being heard. Loki was crouched down, looking around for me in the trees. I smirked. I had made a failed attempt at pulling a Tarzan and using the treetops to spot Loki and pounce him. Now he was hiding in plain sight. The perfect hiding spot. I jogged forward and used a teleportation spell that would transport me the several yards to him. When I reappeared, he was right in front of me.

"Ah ha!" I shouted and tried to grab him and take him down.

Loki disappeared into thin air. I grabbed air. When I realized it was an illusion, I let out a cry of frustration.

"Loki!" I shouted.

All of a sudden, someone grabbed me, one arm around my waist and the other holding me in a headlock. Loki appeared in my peripheral vision. He hold me tight enough to the point of being very uncomfortable, but not quite to the point of hurting me.

"An enemy grabs you like this and you can't escape. Your doom seems to be sealed. What do you do?" he asked in this creepy, gravelly voice.

I growled and grabbed the arm that was constricted around my neck and ducked, sending Loki over my head. I slammed him into a nearby tree, forcing him to let go. Loki let out a pained grunt and crumpled to the leafy forest floor. I used my magic to create bonds, gluing his wrists and ankles to the floor. Loki stared up at me in shock. I ripped a dagger out of his jacket and held it to his neck.

"You even think of breaking those bonds, and I will slit your throat right here," I threatened.

Loki just smiled and stared up at me with big, puppy eyes.

"And if you weren't a god, I'd stomp you so hard, if you know what I mean," I growled.

Loki burst out laughing.

"I get it, Ave. You did good. Now, let me go," he said.

I smirked and replaced the dagger.

"I don't think so. I think I like you helpless," I said.

Loki yanked at the bonds, then tried several spells to dissolve them, but nothing worked.

"What kind of magic is this?" he exclaimed.

I crossed my arms as I watched him.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

Loki was momentarily confused.

"Wha-? No. I'm just not too fond of laying in the dirt in leaves," he spat.

I laughed at him.

"You know, if you were really an enemy, I would have killed you," I said dangerously.

Loki smirked.

"I guess it's a good thing you love me," he said vainly.

I laughed.

"Please!"

"Can I get up now?" he asked.

I got down on my knees beside him and hovered over him.

"Did I win?" I asked.

He smiled wickedly.

"You cheated, Ave," he said.

"Oh, but was not that the objective?" I asked playfully.

Loki laughed.

"It is," he said, "You learn well. Now, may I please be released?"

"Only if you answer my question," I said.

Loki curled his lip. He didn't like losing. To tell me that I won was a punch to his pride. I still wanted to hear it come out of his mouth.  
Loki pulled at his bonds and made a few more futile attempts to break them. They withstood even the strongest of his spells. Finally, he let his head fall back and surrendered.

"Fine, Ave. You win," he said.

I leaned over him.

"Good. Then this training session is over and when I let you go, you can't pull a fast one on me. Deal?"

Loki laughed.

"Come now, Avery. Why would I do that?" he asked teasingly.

"Because you're you," I replied.

"Do you not trust me?" he asked.

I just smirked. I raised my hands up and waved them out from me, releasing Loki. Loki gave me a shit-eating grin, and within seconds, pounced me and had me pinned to the ground.

"Dammit, Loki!" I exclaimed.

"I win," he said.

"You're dead," I snapped.

I grabbed his jacket and tried to wrestle him off of me, but he remained firm.

"Okay," I breathed out, from exhaustion and a giggling fit, "I give."

Loki laughed and kissed me.

"You did exceptionally well, if I do say so. I think a little more practice and you'll be prepared," he said.

I smiled up at him.

"Thank-you," I said, "Let's get up and go cool off."

Loki nodded in agreement. He moved to his knees and took my hands, helping me up out of the dirt. I dusted myself off, then helped pick the leaves sticking in Loki's armor.

"You know, we will have to get you fitted for armor. Send your measurements and customizations into the forger's as soon as possible," he said.

I grunted and gritted my teeth.

"Loki," I whined.

Loki's eyes darkened.

"As long as you're battling and there is a potential threat to Asgard, you _will_ wear armor. It's not an option, Ave," he said strictly.

"I never had to before," I said, "I battled with you guys several times and I was fine."

"You were lucky!" he exploded, "Times are different, and I refuse to let you fight now without some means of protection. I cannot risk going out into battle without knowing you are somewhat safe! I cannot risk losing you!"

I took a shallow breathe as I watched him. I didn't know what to think of his explosion. Was he mad at me? Had I said something wrong? Well, of course it was wrong, but why had it set him off so?

"Not again," he said, taking deep breaths to calm himself, "You and Mother were the only people who treated me with an ounce of understanding. Never once judged me for my foolish acts unless deemed necessary. Loved me for who I was, unconditionally. That's all I ever wanted from anybody. If I lose you, I am alone. Some would say I deserve that, but when I saw you in the snow in Jotunheim, on the brink of death, it scared me. All this time, I went on thinking you were safe in Midgard. Now…"

"Okay, I get it," I whispered.

Loki's sad eyes flickered up to mine. I pulled him into me and hugged him.

"If you want, I'll request a tailor as soon as we return to the palace," I said.

Loki pulled back and held my arms gently.

"I'll set up an appointment for you in the morning. You don't have to worry about it today," he said.

I sighed and nodded. He was right. I needed armor. Loki would have already died, had it not been for the protective metal he wore.

"I'm sorry. It was foolish of me to think I wouldn't need it. You're right," I said in defeat.

Loki frowned.

"I'm sorry for raising my voice at you," he apologized, "That was out of line."

I gave him a small smile.

"You're forgiven," I said.

Loki smiled at that and hugged me, nuzzling his face into the side of my head and kissing my cheek.

"I love you, Ave," he mumbled.

I gave his slender body a squeeze.

"I love you, too. Even if you cheat during training," I said.

Loki just laughed.

In the distance, we heard a muffled boom and a whirring sound. I jumped and spun around, thinking it was a ship or something. When I saw the Observatory spinning in the distance, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Were you expecting someone?" I asked Loki.

He sighed.

"It must be Thor. Come. Perhaps he has some news for us," he said.

I nodded and quickly followed after him.

When we returned to the palace, we found Thor in the garden courtyard reuniting with Sif. When they parted and Sif saw Loki and I approach, she politely bowed to Loki. Thor bowed his head, but Loki didn't seem to take offense.

"Did you bring news?" Loki asked Thor.

Thor nodded.

"I have," he replied.

Loki cast a glance at Sif.

"We have news as well. Sif, locate Fandral and Volstagg. The three of you meet us on my private balcony. The guard will allow you access," he said.

Sif bowed and obeyed. We watched until she vanished inside before Loki gestured for Thor and I to follow him.

"I thought you would have arrived sooner, Thor," Loki said.

"I spoke with Stark after we retrieved Avery's belongings," Thor replied.

"What news did he have?" Loki asked as we turned a corner.

"No more than I."

"Well, what did you tell him?" Loki asked demandingly.

"I merely asked for his help about the portals. I gave him no definite information," Thor replied.

We scaled a set of stairs that led us to the corridor where the royal chambers were located.

"And?" Loki asked.

Thor sighed.

"He said he had my back. He knows not of you or Avery. Not when it comes to the portals, that is," he explained.

We walked through a set of doors and out onto the balcony overlooking Asgard. Not long after we arrived, Sif, Fandral, and Volstagg appeared. They bowed to Loki, then excitedly greeted Thor and I.

"I hope you have good news for us," Sif said to Thor.

Thor looked confused.

"How are they involved?" he asked Loki.

Loki smirked.

"It seems as if the portal in Midgard to Jotunheim is not the only one," he replied.

"We found another," Volstagg said, "In Vanaheim."

Thor looked shocked.

"Unsuspecting Fire Giants from Muspelheim are coming through it. I assume it's just as undetectable there as it is in Vanaheim," Sif explained.

Thor's eyes widened.

"We have to seal these portals!" he boomed.

"But how?" Fandral asked.

"Yeah," I agreed, "We don't know what they're being used for, or how they even came into existence. What are we going to do? Sit around them and wait for something to happen?"

"We shall have to wait until the culprits reveal themselves," Fandral said.

Volstagg let out a humorless laugh.

"That's likely!" he said sarcastically.

"It's obvious they know not of what they are doing," Loki said calmly, "It seems to me like they are toying with magic far beyond their race."

"A portal isn't hard to manifest, though," I said to Loki.

"To a highly skilled sorcerer," he said.

"But almost every race in every Realm has one," Thor chimed in.

"Then the lowest of the races are the ones we should look for," Volstagg said.

"Frost Giants?" Fandral asked, "I mean, they are the ones who attacked Avery."

"They know not of the portal Avery fell through. Even a simple Frost Giant with basic sorcery skills could open a portal," Loki said.

Thor sighed heavily.

"We will have to investigate this further, but later. I have important news from S.H.I.E.L.D.," he said.

All of us perked up, save for Loki, who snarled.

"A creature with demon characteristics was found by Romanoff and Barton," he said.

Loki snorted.

"They no nothing of demons. Not true demons," he said.

"Yes, but this was beyond the creatures of Earth. They're claiming it an alien race. I saw it," he said.

We all snapped our heads up to look at Thor.

"Well, pictures. Fury summoned the Avengers. He asked me to identify it, but I have never seen such a creature. The only person I know who would have any knowledge of it, is you, Loki," he said.

It was Loki's turn to look shocked.

"Me?" he asked.

"You have been to worlds unknown to the rest of us. You have been through the Seven Circles of Hell. You have seen creatures that none of us have witnessed. Surely you can help, brother," Thor pleaded.

Loki exhaled slowly. He looked aggravated.

"The creature has been terrorizing farmers, and Fury fears it will be the humans next," Thor continued.

Loki shrugged.

"Why should I care?" he asked.

I nudged Loki hard in the side. He winced and stared down at me.

"Because Earth is mine to protect. It is one of my top priorities, and as King, it should be your's as well," Thor growled.

With that, Loki snapped.

"How dare you stand before me and tell me what my priorities should be!" he shouted.

Quickly, Sif and I stepped between the brothers. I pulled Loki back, and Sif calmed Thor down.

"Would you two stop?" I asked, "Loki, you have to listen to Thor. If Fury is scared enough of it that he's asking _you_ to come identify it, it must be important."

Loki took a deep breath.

"Fine. Thor, explain this creature to me," he ordered.

Sif and I moved out of the way, certain that one brother would not try to kill the other.

"As I said, it seems to be a sort of demonic creature. According to Agent Romanoff, it possessed no skin. Just a strange, skeletal being. It didn't seem very large. Maybe as tall as Avery, if that," Thor began.

Loki glanced down at me, sizing me.

"Why do they fear it?" Loki asked.

"It's lethal. One touch from it, and you die instantly. Alive or dead, you mustn't touch it," he said.

Loki looked down, his eyebrows knitted together in deep thought.

"Perhaps I should have asked for a photograph," Thor mused.

"What color was it?" Loki asked.

"Solid. So blue it was nearly black," his brother replied.

Loki nodded.

"I cannot think of a creature matching that description. I haven't the slightest idea of what it could possibly be," he replied, "That's the honest truth."

Thor crossed his arms over his chest.

"They sound like Reapers," I said.

Everyone's attentions focused back to me.

"Reapers?" Loki asked.

I nodded.

"Not an official race of creature. Do you know of the Grim Reaper?" I asked.

Loki shook his head.

"I have heard of such a thing from Jane," Thor said.

"What's a 'Grim Reaper?'" Volstagg asked.

"The personification of death," I replied, "It's a fictional creature. A skeleton in a hooded robe, black usually, that carries a scythe. It's supposed to take the soul to judgement when you die."

They nodded in understanding.

"Could these creatures possibly have something to do with the portals?" Fandral asked curiously.

No one had the answer for that.

"Unfortunately, it sounds like I may have to make a trip to Asgard," Loki said, not at all happy.

"Loki, they will not hurt you. They will only ask and show you pictures, or perhaps the body itself. Then, you can come back home and deal with the portals," Thor assured him.

Loki nodded.

"Well, if I go, then Ave, you're coming with me. The world of death and the spiritual beyond is your area of expertise," he said.

I immediately froze and my world slowed down around me. All sounds ceased, as if someone had suddenly stopped cassette tape. The old days rushed back to me. Spending time in graveyards, momentarily making the deceased come to life, ghosts, spirit energy, creatures of the living dead…everything I worked so hard to rip myself apart from.

"That probably wasn't a good thing to bring up," Fandral said.

"Loki, no!" I pleaded.

"But no one knows the world of the dead as well as you," he argued.

"Loki, that was something I dabbled in. I should have never touched it. Do you not remember? All of that spiritual detoxing I had to go through to make myself sane again? We're not going there again!"

"Avery," Loki said.

"I'll go with you as your protector, but I refuse to work with the dead again. Not even these creatures," I said.

Loki sighed.

"But you will help us?" Thor asked me.

"Of course," I replied.

Thor nodded and looked to his friends.

"And you guys?" he asked.

"Have we ever let you down?" Fandral asked.

Thor smiled, then turned to Loki.

"Are you with me, brother?" he asked.

Loki took a deep breath.

"Yes," he said.

Thor grinned. Loki held a finger up.

"However, I will work from the sidelines and away from S.H.I.E.L.D. until absolutely necessary," he said.

"Fine. Thank-you," Thor said.

"Don't thank me yet," Loki replied, "All of you are dismissed. Ave, come to my chambers for a moment. I need to speak with you."

I glanced up at Loki. Great. Now I'm in trouble.

Thor and his friends nodded, bowed their heads, then retreated back inside the palace. I timidly followed Loki back inside and to the King's chambers. Inside was a remarkable and breathtaking room of marble and silver, adorned with Loki's colors of green and gold, but I didn't have time to marvel at the room.

"Darling, I was not asking you to perform magic of the dead. All I said was that you knew well of that world and you could be a great help," he said.

I snorted and walked away from him.

"I fought so hard to get away from that crap," I spat out, "I became very skilled in it. Too good."

"Then, why did you stop?" he asked.

I spun around and stared angrily at him.

"I didn't want to become wicked, Loki!" I shouted at him, "Odin thought I was a monster for a long time. Ever since I came here, probably. He blamed me for using dark magic. He thought I was whoring around on you. He could sense that darkness on me, Loki! I know you can feel it. I stopped doing it because I became to powerful, and it scared me."

Loki's facial features were gentle, holding that of sympathy and sadness.

"It brings nothing but evil upon myself and others, working with the dead. I could not bring harm upon Asgard simply because I was flirting with death for my own sick amusement!" I spat out.

"You are certainly not evil, Ave. Everyone has a light and a dark side. Evil is pure darkness. Like what the Chitauri did to me," he said.

I looked over to him.

"Loki, I went too far with what I did," I said.

"But don't you see?" he asked, "You could put that knowledge—that power to great use."

"The Witch of Death?" I asked, "So people can tack on 'Dark' or 'Wicked' on there?"

Loki smirked.

"What's wrong with a little wickedness?" he asked.

I tried to smile, but it failed. Loki walked up to me an put his hands on my shoulders.

"I don't want to be known as the Wicked Witch of Asagrd or something. You know, like in _The Wizard of Oz_?"

Loki furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side. I just smiled.

"I'll show you later," I said in reply to his expression.

Loki's confusion faded to a soft smile.

"We could be a wicked little duo. A team like we used to be," he said.

I laughed.

"Last time I performed wicked acts, it backfired on me. That stuff can control you," I said.

Loki's eyes were alight with mischief, his smile reflecting it.

"Not if _you_ control _it_," he said.

I stared up at him, not believing a single word. He just smiled at me.

"Come on. We need to perfect our spellwork if we are going to be up against alien forces and S.H.I.E.L.D."

I smiled at him.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice in the matter," I said teasingly.

Loki laughed and began to lead me out of his chambers.

"Not a chance, love."


	9. O Sweet Wickedness

That night, I took a walk after dinner to clear my head. No one gave me more than a quick glance as I walked down the pathways of the marketplace just outside of the palace. I was still my Midgardian clothes, which was against the rules here in Asgard. It was custom that visitors be fitted with an Asgardian wardrobe, and it was a must for residents. However, I was not ready to be thrown into gowns and such. I had even requested that I be fitted with pants instead of a skirt for my armor. Loki did not argue, but this was a place where women did not mix with men. They all had their own rights, but men were still superior. To wear pants was unheard of. And to wear jeans like I was? That was a huge no-no. However, they knew I was friends with Loki. They dare say a word, and they would be in serious trouble.  
Another custom, more so around the palace than anywhere, was for a lady to be escorted by a man, or perhaps a friend or mother. Whatever the case may be, a maiden of Asgard was not to be walking alone. It wasn't that there was anything to be scared of. It was just custom. I could summon Loki, or anyone if I needed them, but I just felt like roaming on my own for a little while. Discussing the best type of spells to use for battle with Loki and improbable outcomes with Sif, the two of the Warrior's Three, and Thor muddled my mind, and I needed to get out and think.  
I walked down to a park where a large statue stood in the middle, odd and beautiful plants grew for everyone to admire, and statues of the Gods and Goddesses of the Nine Realms stood. Odin's was in the process of being moved next to his father's to make room for Loki's new statue. I remembered both he and Thor had one at one time, but now Loki's was missing. I'm sure Asgardians were…_pleased_ about it. Looking up at a giant statue of Loki, knowing his past. I could overlook it, and the family could overlook it, but wickedness could never been forgotten. I knew this.  
I walked to a bench and sat down with a groan. The title of "Wicked" was something I had strived to overcome for years. It was an insult to magical people everywhere. During my time, it was just as bad as calling someone a "bitch" or "whore" or anything else. It was a derogatory term back in the 1600s. I still felt like it was bad. I was a good witch, as far as I was concerned. I practiced white magic. I harmed none…unless of course it was deemed necessary. I tried to keep myself on the good side, but a few years into living in Asgard, I had started to turn.  
It was not necessarily influenced by anything bad. Not Loki, nor anyone else had a hand in my turning. It was my own curiosity, fueling my dark side. Everyone has one. I, by nature, was a dark person. I liked the night, my moon source of magical restoration being lunar energy. I was not afraid of the dark. I loved violent storms. I liked dark colors versus lighter colors. Samhain was my favorite sabbat next to Yule. I enjoyed getting scared on Halloween when I visited Earth. I just preferred the dark. There was beauty in it overlooked by many for its wicked nature, and if you don't take caution, you could end up in the same boat I was.  
It started with Creatures of the Night. I studied them. Then, I moved on to ghosts. Researching their energy. Practicing locating them and even summoning them to my circles. When I realized I could communicate with the dead with little difficulty, I let loose with the workings of the dead. Creatures of death. Ghosts. It even went as far as dead bodies. My powers grew to an amazing height as I continued to meddle in the world of the dead. I discovered powers I didn't know I could perform. Fire. Super strength. Causing things to explode with only a thought and flourish of my hand. It got scary when I decided to possess people. It scared the shit out of Thor when I grabbed one of his enemies during battle. I plunged my fist into its chest and wrapped my hands around its heart before tapping into its soul. I got all of the answers we were looking for, but I regretted it later. This was dark, dark magic. Something I should have never touched. I could manipulate people. Use their bodies as my own personal puppets. I could send them flying with a motion of my arm. I could go up in a blaze of fire and red smoke and hide, only to come soaring down and killing whatever I was fighting. Loki loved seeing my perform those powers, but it ended violently.  
I had opened a circle with the body of one of our enemies in it. He had pissed me off during battle, nearly killing Loki. I wanted to summon his soul back and show him what I would have done to him, had he hurt Loki again. I underestimated the power of a soul when multiple spirits came flying into the circle, each one of them a demon. It started with a scratch. Four claw marks down my back. I bled like no other, and it burned like almighty hell. Next, it was possession. I demon entered me—toyed with my mind. I went on a rampage as it tried to kill me from the inside out. I went after Loki, who recognized what had happened and took my straight to Frigga. She exercised it out of me, and as soon as it was banished and the circle was closed, which in the time it was open had turned into a portal to Hell, I collapsed and was sent straight to the Healer's, where I was cleansed and later received a strict lecture from Frigga about dark magic. I promised I would never do it again, and I never have.  
Loki wanted it back. I knew the powers were extremely useful, but their sheer power could easily over take my mind. I would not be able to stop it, for I wouldn't want to. I hoped Loki knew what Frigga did to stop me the first time. However, Loki was right about controlling it. Maybe all it took was willpower. Nevertheless, I was not too keen on the idea.  
I leaned back in the bench and looked up at the darkening sky. The stars were so different here than they were on Midgard. There seemed to be trillions more, and of more sizes and colors than the Midgardian constellations provided. Tiny stars. Fat stars. Distant planets. Other realms. Blues, yellows, pinks, and purples among the white (or what looked like why from this distance). It was beautiful set above the golden city of Asgard. I closed my eyes, the image of the stars burned into my retinas and I could see flashes of it behind my eyelids. It was so peaceful.  
I relaxed into the bench as a cold breeze swept around me. It was ice cold, but I thought nothing of it until my ears started ringing and my skin erupted in goosebumps. My eyes snapped open and I involuntarily looked to my right. Standing near the fountain, dressed in a royal gown, was a blueish-white figure resembling a woman. My eyes widened, as I realized I recognized the woman—a woman I knew to be dead.

"No," I whispered.

The woman looked over at me and smiled. I ripped myself from the bench and moved to hide behind it—as hidden as one could be, anyway.  
She began to approach me, floating as she walked.

"No! No, no, no!" I said, holding a hand out.

The woman stopped a few yards from me and smiled as she clasped her hands together.

"I'm glad to see you didn't lose all of those powers," she said.

"Do not step any closer to me. That is, if you're real. Are you real? Please tell me I'm not hallucinating," I rambled.

The woman laughed softly.

"You can see me, correct?" she asked.

I swallowed hard and nodded. She stepped closer to me, this time in a more human manner.

"Yeah," I replied meekly.

She smiled wider.

"Then this is real, darling Avery," she said.

The voice. The hair. The face. The clothes. It was all Frigga. I could feel her energy. Her emotions of relief and sadness, mixed with happiness and gentleness. I didn't want to believe this was her. I thought I had destroyed my ability to see the dead.

"Frigga, don't toy with me. I really, really didn't want to see you this way," I said, pleading.

"My dear, I do not mean to deceive you. I am here in full spirit," she said softly.

I bit my lip and shook my head.

"Just as I think about the dead, they come walking in. Please! I'm trying to forget those powers, Frigga. They cause nothing but trouble," I begged.

"Avery, you were born this way. Death is in your blood. You relished the wicked so much because it is part of you," she said.

I felt my jaw fall.

"What?" I whispered.

She walked up to me and cupped my cheek, turning my skin ice cold. I wanted to rip myself away from her as my aura became tainted with spiritual energy, but it was still Frigga, and I missed her touch.

"It does not mean that you are evil, my dear. Everyone has a wicked side, and the only way to cope with the magic of the dead is to be wicked. You must embrace it. Have you felt the same since your last circle?" she asked.

I thought about it for a moment.

"Not r-r-really," I stuttered, "I kind of felt like a piece of me was missing, but I thought that was from missing Asgard."

Frigga smiled.

"Sweetheart, the world beyond life is your talent. Witchcraft and death, as morbid as that sounds. However, I assure you that it is for a purpose. You just have to use your powers to discover it," she said.

I stared at her in disbelief.

"Frigga, I don't want this," I said, my voice weak.

I slowly backed away from her. She floated closer to me.

"Do not be scared of your powers. They are your greatest gift. They are undeniably strong, and once you harness their true potential, you can win any battle," she said.

I let out a shaky breath. Something clicked inside of me. My hatred for my dark side was slowly fading.

"If it overpowers you, Loki knows how to bring you back. However, I doubt he will need to. He can teach you how to control your powers. He won't let you hurt yourself, nor anyone else. He will protect you. You were his closest friend. He never forgot that," she said.

I stared at her wide-eyed.

"My Queen," I said, "Does he tell the truth? Has he taken the thrown for the good of Asgard? Thor believes him, and I believe Sif and the Warrior's Three are starting to believe him, but—"

"Hush, my dear," Frigga said, telling me to shut up in the nicest way possible, "My son has his secrets, but he is working for the good of Asgard, as well as you, Thor, and the rest of his warriors. He will not fail you. Loki loves you, and he will cherish and remain devoted to you. Even in death. Trust in him, Avery. Trust in him, and trust in yourself."

I nodded, then watched her for a moment.

"We miss you, Frigga," I said quietly.

She smiled warmly and stroked my cheek.

"I will always be with you. Remember that," she said, "And I love you."

I felt my eyes sting.

"I love you, too," I whispered.

Frigga smiled and turned away from me, vanishing as if she had never been there and I had been talking to myself. Gods, I hope I hadn't just hallucinated!  
I looked around to see the park still void of life. With the coast clear, I ran back to the palace. I knew I couldn't tell Loki what had just happened. He was still distraught from losing Frigga, and I didn't dare bring her up. He would ask why I didn't summon him, or even better, send her to him. Spirits don't work like that. They show up when they want. They do what they want…  
Loki is going to be a menace in spirit form!

I walked inside the palace, said hello to people as I walked by, and made my way up to my chambers. As I walked down the corridor, Thor appeared around a corner and jogged over to me.

"Avery! I was wondering where you were," he said, smiling.

I glanced over my shoulder.

"I was out for a walk. Why? Is there something wrong?" I asked worriedly.

Thor laughed.

"No, not at all. In fact, Loki and I have been preparing something for you," he replied.

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. Thor just smiled.

"Come. It's a surprise we've been hiding all afternoon."

I followed Thor to my chambers. He opened the door for me and we walked in. Inside, my television was glowing with a blue screen. Loki was holding a device with the cords to everything stemming from it.

"Brother, if you hold that any longer, it's energy will seep into you. Set it down," Thor ordered.

Loki moved it to the TV stand sitting under the mounted flatscreen and set it down behind it, blue light glowing up the red wall.

"We have power running to all of your devices, Avery," Thor said, "But we were unsure how to hook them together."

I smiled.

"I can take care of it. It can get confusing. What is that blue thing?" I asked.

Loki timidly looked up to Thor. Thor just sighed.

"The orb out of the spear Loki used. It contains the power of the Tesseract," he explained.

I stared at Thor in horror.

"Thor!" I said scoldingly, "Isn't that dangerous? No part of that thing should be where any could touch it!"

Thor just laughed.

"It has been cursed," he said, all too happily.

My face fell.

"Thor, that doesn't sound any better," I said.

"No, but the container it is in is cursed so no one can pry it open, except me, without being electrocuted," he explained.

Thor cast a knowing glance at Loki.

"You can't even fathom what that _thing_ did to me. I don't want to touch it!" Loki said sassily.

I smiled and shook my head.

"But, we can spare some of it for Avery. Make her feel more at home, and never have to worry about losing power," Thor said.

I smiled up at the mighty blonde man in front of me.

"Thank-you. Both of you," I said, "You didn't have to do this. I just didn't want to sacrifice this stuff and leave it behind."

Thor smiled.

"Well, Loki had an idea," he said.

I raised an eyebrow and turned to Loki. He was holding up a DVD of _The Wizard of Oz_ in one hand, smiling sheepishly. I burst out laughing.

"Oh, Loki!"

"What?" he asked, "I wanted to see what it was about. You said you'd show me."

I smiled at him.

"Do you want to watch it? It's a corny movie. Two women fighting over a pair of shoes," I warned him.

Thor laughed. Being around Jane as much as he was, I'm sure he got the joke. Loki was confused.

"Why?" he asked.

I smiled. He had a lot to learn.

"It's also a musical," I said.

Loki shrugged.

"I like musicals. Many theatre productions here in Asgard are often musicals. They're beautiful," he said.

"Ah! But none like this, brother," Thor joked.

Loki seemed thoroughly confused, as was I.

"Where did you see it, Thor?" I asked.

Thor's cheeks tinged pink.

"Darcy showed me. Jane's friend," he said.

Loki rolled his eyes.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to watch it with us, but since you've already seen it…"

"Oh, no. I wouldn't want to intrude are your time with Loki. I have to be returning to Midgard," he said.

I felt my heart sink. I had barely had any time to get caught up with him.

"Tonight?" I asked.

Thor frowned and nodded.

"I will see you again soon, though," he assured me.

"Well, okay then. Safe travels," I said.

Thor bowed his head.

"You stay safe as well, Avery. And," Thor leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Keep him in line, would you?"

I laughed.

"I heard that!" Loki snapped.

Thor smiled at his brother.

"We'll be fine. Thank-you for doing this for me," I said.

"You're very welcome. Loki, I will return if something changes," he said.

Loki nodded. Thor said goodbye to us before leaving us alone with our movie. I took the DVD from Loki and hooked up the DVD player so we could watch it. By the time the Witch appeared, Loki was giving me knowing glances.

"I see where you picked up the fire thing. And the smoke," he teased.

I rolled my eyes.

"I personally like the red smoke. The fire is just for scare effect," I said.

Loki smiled at me.

"So are you good witch, or a bad witch?" he asked huskily.

I glared at him.

"Depends, my dear Loki. Are you a good King, or a bad one?" I asked.

Loki moved of to me and pinned me down to the couch.

"Neither," he said, "I am a _great_ king!"

I burst out laughing.

"Whatever you say," I said teasingly.

Loki growled and roughly assaulted my mouth. I just grabbed his collar and yanked him to me. I could feel magic flooding my veins as Loki transferred his energy to me, trying to get my mind to snap of to the dark side.

"_How about a little fire, Scarecrow?_"

Loki and I turned to see the Wicked Witch of the West stick the end of her broom into a torch and set the Scarecrow's arm on fire. Loki chuckled.

"I like her," he said.

I laughed at him.

"Especially the green. Not as a skin color. Just the shade," he went on.

I looked to his chest and straightened his v-neck tunic.

"I've always liked green," I thought out loud.

Loki gazed down at me with this smoldering stare.

"Maybe we could incorporate the color into your armor?"

I smiled and shook my head.

"Green is yours. I'll find my color," I said.

Loki seemed satisfied by that, and he laid down on my chest to watch the rest of the movie. I brushed my fingers through his hair as I thought back to my encounter with Frigga, all the while my wicked side coming more alive. By morning, I would realize it had never truly vanished.

***

The next morning, as promised, I was to meet with the family tailor to be fitted for armor. Loki met with me briefly and told me he requested that the tailors listen to my every word. No request should go denied, and if they were to argue with me, I should report them to him. I told Loki it seemed a little harsh. They were only doing their jobs. I wasn't going to make them do anything too outrageous anyway, but Loki had already made up his mind. He was being ridiculous, but he wanted everything to be perfect for me. I suppose, in his mind, if it was perfect, that lessened the chance of me getting hurt.  
I was to be escorted by Sif, as per request by Loki, to the tailor. His excuse was "Sif knows the best fit for a female warrior, and I want her to supervise." Basically, he did not want the tailor to bullshit me, and Loki knew Sif would enforce that. I told Loki I could go on my own, and if the tailor gave me any grief, I would burn his or her hand off. I wondered why his amount of trust in the tailor was so little.  
As I walked alongside Sif to be fitted, I felt highly out of place. I had chosen to wear a simple t-shirt and soft shorts to make changing clothes easy incase I needed to try something on. I looked like a bum compared to Sif, who was wearing her light armor, boots, and her hair up in a classy ponytail. She looked so regal and, well, badass. I was really starting to feel like an ungrateful brat. Refusing to accept the customs of my new home. However, I had only just arrived. While I was at the tailors, I would ask to measure me for dress gowns, dress armor, and anything else custom to Asgard that I would need. I would, however, ask for certain colors, as well as a sort of Midgardian flare. I didn't want to feel too uncomfortable.

"Have you been well, Avery?" Sif asked, breaking the silence.

I glanced up at her.

"Other than a stab wound by a Frost Giant, I've been fine," I replied.

Sif look embarrassed.

"Oh, Avery, I apologize. Your injury slipped my mind. Is it healing well?"

I nodded.

"It fully healed now," I replied.

She gave me a small smile.

"Good. I've seen many Frost Giant related injuries. All of which can be pretty nasty," she said.

I nodded.

"I bet. Have you been well, Sif?" I asked.

She nodded.

"I have," she replied.

She looked down at me with a strange look on her face. I wasn't sure what to make if it, but it looked like she was sneering. I looked away and furrowed my eyebrows. What was that about?

"I'm sorry, but I must ask you this," she said, her voice now snappy, "Do you fully trust our King?"

I snapped up to look at her.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"You must pardon me if my question is a little intrusive, but I must know. Do you trust Lo—ehem, King Loki?" she asked again.

I narrowed my eyes at her. I knew what she was getting at. In her mind, I was either on his evil side, or to see if he wasn't controlling me.

"Sif, Loki has been my best friend for years. Never once has he lied to me or tried to manipulate me for more than a harmless joke. I can see through him, and I would know if he tried to pull a fast one on me. I have always trusted him, and he's always put his trust in me. I would never betray him."

"Yet, he betrayed you by attacking Midgard," she said.

"He didn't do it to spite me, Sif. I will admit it, I wanted his head on a platter when I woke up and saw him. I fought with him. Screamed at him. Said things I probably shouldn't have said to the man who had saved my life. I didn't trust him at first, but he regained my trust. And after hearing what he did for Thor and his mortal woman, I had to forgive him. No heartless being could have done something so selfless. Furthermore, we don't have all the facts on what happened to Loki when he encountered the Chitauri. For all we know, he could have been under some form of possession. Maybe by the Chitauri and the Tesseract both. We don't know for sure, so we shouldn't judge him based solely upon what we've seen or heard. There's always another side. If you feel it's full of lies, then I'm sorry, but you're wrong."

Sif took a deep breath.

"I know you know of the things I've done, Sif, and you may think I'm siding with a dark force, but Loki has changed. I've changed. If Loki betrays Asgard for any other reason than ones deemed absolutely necessary, I will most likely side opposite of him and see to it that he receives the proper punishment. I highly doubt it, though," I finished.

Sif nodded.

"You truly believe Loki is working for the good of Asgard?" she asked.

I looked up at her.

"You don't?" I asked.

She cleared her throat.

"What I mean to say is, I want to believe him. Loki was a good friend to all of us as children, but after his fight with Thor…"

"It was nothing more than an overdramatized fight between two siblings and I minor freakout on Loki's part. How would you feel if in one day, you learned that not only were you not of your family, but not even of your own species? Then, send your brother away to live alone on Midgard not long after disposing of your best friend?"

Sif thought about it for a minute.

"I suppose I would crack. Perhaps not as brutally as Loki, but…that's a difficult question to answer," she said.

I gave her a small smile.

"Have faith in Loki, Sif."

She nodded.

"I will try," she said.

Sif and I walked into a room where the tailors were impatiently waiting, where they yanked me in and drowned me in measuring tape and straight pins.  
Later, while Sif was smiling at my distressed state of getting my chest measured, a guard knocked at the door.

"The King requested Lady Sif at once to the throne room. He also requests Lady Avery as soon as she is finished."

"Thank-you," Sif said to the guard, then turned to me, "How much progress have we made?"

The tailor wrote my measurements down.

"Almost finished, my lady," she replied.

Sif looked up to me.

"Do you think you can find your way back?" she asked me.

"You forget I used to regularly visit Asgard, Sif," I said.

I knew this place like the back of my hand.

"Ah, yes. Sorry, but it has been quite a few years," she apologized.

I gave her a smile.

"It's okay. Go see what the King needs. I will be along shortly," I said.

Sif returned the smile and nodded before turning on her heal and leaving. Once she was gone, I breathed a sigh of relief. Sif and I had had our differences, most of which involving Loki and his rights and wrongs, but I was thankful that my first encounter with her alone since my exile had been relatively painless. I needed to make amends with her. She had never liked me, and I had been particularly hateful to her during my worst moments before Frigga saved me from demonic possession. Sif could have killed me in the corridors of the palace and make it look like an accident, so I needed to reestablish a relationship with her, as well as reconnecting with the Warrior's Three and Thor. Before long, I may be fighting alongside them.

"Okay, suck it in, dear," the tailor said.

Before I could even obey the command, the tailor was choking me with another corset. I gasped and held my stomach with one hand. This was going to be a long day.

After finally being measured for everything I would need, and after a long, unnecessary argument about corsets, I made my way back through the palace in search of Loki. As I walked, trying to magic away the soreness in my sides from being crushed by corset after corset, a guard approached me and bowed before speaking to me.

"My Lady, the King is in the warriors' sitting room with the others," he said.

I nodded.

"Thank-you," I replied.

"Would you like an escort?" he asked.

I stared at him for a moment. I know custom is custom, manners are manners, and rules are rules, but could a maiden not walk unattended to be with her thoughts? I felt as if it was one thing for Loki to escort me, another for Thor, or even one of the Warrior's Three, but a royal guard? I know it was probably Loki's request, but I felt like this was one of those rules that needed to be changed. Even Sif and Frigga were allowed to walk on their own. Perhaps I was a little headstrong, and a bit proud, but I felt like I had a right to roam freely.

"No, but thank-you," I said politely.

The guard bowed his helmeted head and backed away before turning to resume whatever duties he had. I continued my walk, tackling a flight of stairs and turning to head to the sitting room. My mind could not shake my encounter with Frigga. It had been years since I had seen a manifestation of a spirit. I knew she showed herself to me at this time for a reason. Something was on the horizon. Something possibly terrible. What I failed to understand was why a lifestyle that I had hated, that I fought to break myself from, was now being encouraged. I had made a name for myself in Asgard, influenced by dark magic and spending my time with the black sheep of the royal family. People knew not to trust Loki, and when I showed signs of wickedness, pulling not so harmless pranks with my magic and battling dirty, not to mention being stubborn and completely unladylike, they did not trust me either. I brought a lot of grief, and the worst part was, I had no clue about it until I was exorcised. I felt terrible for it, and still do. Yet, I found myself yearning for that life again.

"You should never have come back."

I stopped and turned to see a servant mopping the floor. She was a plump, middle-aged woman, her face well-wrinkled and pieces of gray peeking out in her hairline. I thought that perhaps she was talking to another servant, but she was looking right at me. In addition, there was no one else around. I glared darkly at her. Servants were not allowed to speak to those in higher rank unless addressed first.

"Excuse me?" I asked, a little snappy.

She smiled at me and continued her mopping.

"You should have been left to rot in Midgard. Your stay here won't be long," she said.

I rushed her and shoved her against the wall, my anger boiling.

"Was that a threat?" I hissed.

She just laughed.

"You listen to me! You are nothing more but the help. You do NOT talk to me that way! I am under the protection of the King. Would you like to lose your job and go to prison, because I could summon him here right now," I threatened.

"You are not welcome here, witch. The Allfather banished you for a reason. He knew you were truly wicked, and if he were still king, he would have you killed. You and your precious Loki!"

In a split second, everything I had been holding back unleashed. Blazing anger exploded within me, my magical core flipped, and the magic I had been keeping myself out of for so long came to a head.

"You want wicked?" I asked, "I'll show you WICKED!"

I raised my hand, and the woman's face fell. Oh, sweet wickedness.

Loki sat on the throne, sitting sideways as he picked at his well-manicured nails. He was bored. The needs of the Asgardians and their requests for help or otherwise only entertained him for a minute or so. Within in the past hour, his attention had been on his fingernails, his armor, or the ceiling, admiring the beauty the crystal had restored to the room. No one had come to speak with him, so he took the time to relax and gaze up at the ceiling in deep thought. His mind was on the portals and the claimed alien life form found on Midgard. He wished they had provided him more evidence. A crashed ship, perhaps. Something to give a clue as to where they came from, and could they have any connection to the portals. It was driving him to the point of insanity. He knew, whether it be tomorrow or in a week's time, he would have to travel down to Midgard and get to the bottom of things. He wondered what kind of welcome he would receive.  
The doors opened and in stepped Fandral and Voltagg, as requested. As they made their way to the throne, Sif entered and walked quickly to catch up with them. Loki looked up to see them and swung his legs around to face front. The three requested warriors bowed to Loki. Loki smirked. Out of everything he liked about ruling, people kneeling to him was his favorite.  
Loki stood and walked down to the three warriors, two of his guards following at a close distance.

"You all arrived sooner than I expected," he observed.

Fandral and Volstagg exchanged nervous glances.

"We were in the area," Fandral said.

Loki nodded and turned to Sif.

"Were the tailors nearly finished with Avery when you left?" he asked.

"I know not. They said they were, but they were giving her a rough time," she replied.

Loki snorted.

"I'm not surprised. I'll send after her if she has not arrived by the time we're finished," he said, casting a glance at the late morning sky outside.

"What did you need of us, my Lord?" Volstagg asked.

Loki looked back to the towering, bearded man before him.

"Your help," he replied.

The three warriors exchanged nervous and fearful glances.

"I trust the three of you, and Hogun, the most with the task I have for you. Are you willing to help?" Loki asked.

The had no choice but to nod.

"Good. Follow me," he said.

Loki led the three out of the throne room and up to a sitting room where they, as well as Thor, used chat and rest after a battle. It was the room they concealed themselves in as they tried to make sense of Thor's banishment several years ago.  
The four strolled in, Loki allowing them entrance first. He then followed them into the warmly lit room while his guards closed the door and guarded the outside. Loki turned to see his warrior's standing around nervously.

"Please, sit. The news will be easier to take off of your feet," he said.

That did not help ease the tension, but they obeyed anyway. Loki went to sit across from them. He sat down heavily and clasped his hands together.

"I would not ask this of you if Thor were available, but I do not have much of a choice at the moment. The issue with the portals and the capture of strange lifeforms on Midgard may force me to go and inspect the situation. I will need Thor with me, and I will most likely take Avery, since she knows about these kinds of creatures, but I need someone to watch the throne."

Loki watched as Sif, Fandral, and Volstagg's eyes widened.

"Loki, we—"

Loki held a hand up, cutting Fandral off.

"There is no doubt in my mind you three can handle it. Hogun too, should he return before I do," he said.

"Loki, we can't just take the throne! We're not royalty!" Sif exclaimed.

Loki pointed to himself.

"I am not, nor have I ever been an Odinson, yet here I am!" he hissed.

Sif did not argue.

"It will only be temporary. All three of you are close to Thor. The Asgardians know that and they will trust you. I would not be surprised if they trusted you more than me," he said.

"Forgive me," Volstagg said, "but I must ask. This isn't part of some elaborate plan to, you know, cause chaos or something?"

"Volstagg!" Sif scolded.

Volstagg cowered.

"I know! I just couldn't help but think—"

"I do not blame you for thinking this way," Loki interrupted, "But I cannot leave Asgard unattended, nor can I risk losing three of Asgard's best warriors in Midgard. I need your help. Are you all willing to take the role of power until Thor or myself return?"

Fandral rubbed his hands against his thighs and puffed out his cheeks. Sif bit her lip and looked to him and Volstagg.

"This is a huge responsibility," she said to them.

Fandral shrugged.

"It is, but between the three of us, and if Hogun returns, we could do it," he said.

"May be a lot of fun. A new challenge for us," Volstagg said.

Loki snorted and smiled.

"So you will do it?" he asked.

They looked to him and nodded. Loki gave them a genuine smile and stood.

"I will make the announcement to Asgard tonight," he said, "And, I will reward the three of you greatly for your assistance."

"Loki, we're glad to help. We understand that you're shorthanded and you need to take care of the current issues. There's no need to reward us," Fandral said.

Loki smirked. He admired Fandral's humbleness.

"It is the kingly thing to do. I have to make a right somewhere," he said.

Fandral just nodded. Loki spoke his thanks once more to the warriors before excusing them until he required their presence again.

Once the door was closed, an explosion from outside that made Loki jump. He spun around and looked to see a cloud of red and gray smoke down on a lower level of the palace. Then, a noise that sounded like a chair squeaking across the floor pierced his ears, and fire blew up from the smoke. A black plume of smoke shot skyward from the aftermath of the explosion. Loki smiled.

"Well, well," he said to himself.

The plume of black smoke curved in the air and hurtled straight for the balcony. Loki's face fell and he quickly ducked back inside. The marble floor began to smoke, and Loki could feel the heat. As the plume met the balcony, a blaze of fire engulfed it and vanished, revealing a livid Avery and a sobbing servant woman. Loki stared in shock as Avery slung the servant to the ground, sending the plump woman sliding to Loki's feet.

***

"My lady," the servant woman cried, pushing herself up to all fours.

She turned to face me.

"I am sorry. Please, I'll be on my way and you'll never have any trouble from me again. I swear," she begged.

"Why don't you tell your King what you told me?" I asked venomously.

Loki looked up from the woman.

"What did she say to you, my dear?" he asked me.

The servant looked up to Loki, then back to me.

"Tell him," I said to her, "Tell him right now."

The woman cried.

"No, please, I'll—"

I flew down to her, grabbed her collar, then held my free hand up and a ball of fire manifested from my palm.

"Tell him or I will show you no mercy," I threatened her.

"Okay!" she cried.

I extinguished the fire and let go, climbed back to my feet. She tried to stand too, but Loki held a palm up.

"I'd rather you kneel, servant. If you have angered Lady Avery to this point, you have no right to stand before me," he said darkly.

The servant woman whimpered.

"Speak!" I shouted.

"I threatened her," she cried, "I told her she should have never come back, and you shouldn't have! Odin was right about you all this time. You're not a good witch, and neither are you a good king. Avery should be left to rot in Midgard, and you should be dead in the ground!"

Loki growled, but before he hand a chance to do anything, my temper exploded. With both of my palms up, my fingers curled like the talons of an eagle reaching for a rabbit, I lifted the woman up and sent her flying across the room. She crashed against the fall wall with a sickening thud. I flew over to her, grabbed her by the hair on the back of her head, and yanked her face up to look at me.

"Don't think you will ever speak to your King, or me, like that ever again, you ungrateful shrew!" I snarled.

With that, I violently smashed my knee into her face, breaking her nose.

"Witch," she whispered before falling unconscious.

I straightened up as I looked down at her, a feeling of satisfaction and invigorating power washing over me, restoring me to my original state—what Frigga said I was meant to be.

"Guards!" Loki barked.

Two of Loki's guards burst through the doors and marched in.

"Shackle this woman and take her to the healers. See she remains handcuffed until she is in a prison cell. I will arrange a trial for her in the coming weeks. Is that clear?"

The guards bowed their heads in understanding before carefully picking up the injured woman and carrying her off. I watched until the doors were closed. Behind me, Loki chuckled. I turned to see him smiling at me, and I couldn't keep my heart from jumping into my throat. Loki's eyes were bright and mischievous, as was his grin, but it held nothing but warmth.

"There it is," he said.

I sighed and began to approach him, hanging my head in a mixture of shame and embarrassment.

"What triggered it?" he asked, referring to my restored powers.

I sheepishly looked up at him.

"Rage. Pure, uncontrollable rage," I said, my anger starting to bubble up again, "Loki, this is against the rules. It's in the Rede. 'An' ye harm none, do what ye will.' Everything comes back three times, Loki. It's called Karma. What I just did, is going to come and bite my ass! This is why I wanted to stop my wickedness in first place."

I didn't notice it, but my magic beginning to take a mind of its own. Spurts of fire and sparks of electricity were shooting out of my fingertips. Loki grabbed my hands, folding them gently into his.

"Shh. Easy, Ave, easy," he said calmly.

I looked at my hands, sparks being extinguished by his magic, resulting in little whips of smoke twirling up from our hands.

"Deep breaths, my darling. Calm yourself," he said.

I took a few deep breaths. Loki locked his eyes with mine and mumbled something. I felt a surge of icy cold energy rush through me, negative energy washing away until I was left exhausted on my feet.  
Loki let go of my hands and stroked my cheek with the crook of his index finger as he watched me, a loving and borderline seductive look in his eyes.

"How I missed this," he said, "Your beautiful wickedness. Once we get a handle on it, we can use it for greater good."

I tried not to, but I cracked and smiled.

"I'm going to get in trouble for this, Loki. I'm going to have to _beg_ the Gods and Goddesses for forgiveness."

Loki's eyes widened and a smirk played upon his lips.

"You worship from mythology, correct? Norse, Greek, Roman?"

I nodded. Loki put his fingertips to his chest plate.

"Am I not a God?" he asked.

I closed my eyes and groaned.

"Don't tell me you worship Thor," he teased.

"Loki, you don't have the best reputation in the Wiccan community."

"Have I ever had a decent reputation? I'm trying to remedy that," he said, being difficult and trying to get a rise out of me.

"Loki, this is different. Certain facts about you are lost through translation and time. This is real. The Loki in the Eddas is based off of you, and that's what they worship. Until a little over a year ago, no one knew you existed."

Loki did not seem angered or disappointed, as I thought he would be.

"This is different. I breathe. I live. I have a beating heart. I have a soul, though most choose to believe otherwise. Strip me of immortality and power and what am I, Ave? If I renounce my lineage of Frost Giant, what am I?" he asked.

I sighed.

"Human," I said quietly.

"As you once were, my dear. Now, we are immortal. We are magical beings. We are the same, Avery. But as a God, I can grant you forgiveness for today. Especially since you acted in my defense, as you always have. You just did it in a glorious, wicked way."

"That you seem to get too much of a kick from," I popped off.

Loki laughed. I smiled at his amusement. His expressions soon died down, but his smile never faded from his lips.

"I, Loki, grant you forgiveness for your acts of wickedness," he said.

I felt shocked as a feeling of burden lifted from me. An uneasiness vanished. Loki took my hands.

"You seemed surprised," he observed.

I took a deep breath and looked up at him. I then smiled at him. Loki took my chin in his fingertips, tilting my head up.

"Now, let's have a kiss," he said cheekily.

I giggled and he pressed his lips tenderly to mine. I held his neck, savoring the feeling of his lips, warm from the spell that kept him Aesir, versus the fatal chill one would feel from kissing a Frost Giant.

"Ding-dong, the witch is back," he sang softly.

I burst out laughing and smacked his chest. Loki laughed and yanked me into a hug, embracing me so I couldn't fight him.

"Are you glad? Does it feel right?" he asked, slipping his arms around my waist.

I put my arms inside his jacked and wound them around his waist as I thought about it. I had this pleasure flood me as I see the fear in the servant woman's eyes as I attacked her. I loved the power it gave me, the feeling of my magic coming forth, and the sweet vengeance for Loki.

"It's starting to. Loki?" I asked.

Loki looked down at me.

"Yes, love?"

"Promise me you won't let me lose my control," I said.

Loki let go of me, cupped my face in his large hands, and kissed my forehead.

"Never will I let you lose control, my sweet Avery. I can't bear to see it overtake you again. We will harness it, okay? Worry not, love," he said.

I reached up on tip-toe and pecked his lips.

"Thank-you. I promise I won't let harm come to you or anything take hold of you either," I said.

Loki smiled and hugged me, whispering a thank-you in my ear. He kissed the side of my head before pulling away.

"I'm sure Mother would forgive you, too," he said quietly.

I gave Loki a sad smile. I couldn't tell him what happened in the garden, even though I desperately wanted to.

"I think so, too," I whispered.

Loki took my hand.

"Come. We have to meet with Heimdall. Would you like to fly there, or ride Rune again?" he asked.

I smiled.

"Rune. A black arc of smoke in broad daylight will surely cause alarm among the Asgardians," I said.

Loki grinned and led me to the door.

"It is a scary sight, hurtling towards you," he teased as he opened the door for me.

"Well, move, you idiot," I joked.

A guard standing outside the door stared at me in fear. Loki noticed the look on the man's face and smirked. I often forgot that he was the King, and not just the prince I could goof around with. Though, I still was never allowed to call him an idiot then, either.

"Avery," he scolded, "Mind your language."

I snorted.

"I apologize, my Lord," I said.

Loki closed the door and eyed me accusingly. I couldn't contain the smile on my face. Loki swiftly grabbed me. I squealed as he escorted me down the corridor.

"Guards, please alert the stablehands to prepare my steed and Rune, please," he said over his shoulder.

"Of course, your Majesty," they said, then bowed and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

I snorted.

"That still sounds so weird to me," I said, "'Your majesty.'"

Loki smiled down at me.

"I'm enjoying it. Why don't you tell me about your time at the tailors?" he asked.

I groaned.

"Where shall I begin?"


	10. Battle on the Beach

As I rode alongside Loki at a casual walk across the bridge, Loki told me of his appointing the Warrior's Three and Sif to the throne while we were gone. In hearing this news, I was surprised at him.

"It's not like I have much of a choice," Loki said.

"Yes, I know, but I'm just a little shocked. Do you really believe those three can handle it?" I asked.

"I believe they can handle it, Ave. Between the three of them, they can council each other," he said confidently.

"Yes, but what if it causes a fight between them?" I asked.

"It may. It is a big weight on their shoulders, but I have faith in them, as odd as that sounds coming from me," he replied.

I smiled and looked down the shimmering path of color to the golden Observatory several yards away.

"I just hope we have a home to come back to when everything is said and done," I said, casting a glance at the skyline of Asgard over my shoulder.

"I'm not too worried about that," he said, "I'm sure the Asgardian will rejoice in my absence."

I looked sadly upon Loki. He would never be able to live up to Odin. His flaws were too well-known. Odin had done some stupid things too, but they had been kept under wraps. That didn't mean that Loki could not be as good of a ruler as Odin.

"Give it time, sweetheart," I said softly.

Loki looked up at me, sadness in his eyes.

"They will learn to love you, and you will gain their loyalty. It may take years, but they have to believe in you some time. Just be patient," I said.

Loki gave me a small smile.

"Though, after news spreads of what I did to that poor servant woman, I'm sure rumors will follow. They probably think we're teaming up to conduct supreme evil on Asgard or something."

Loki chuckled.

"Let them think what they will. Either way, they are wrong. The only thing they will be right about is their King teaming up with his wicked love," he said.

I jumped, accidentally startling Rune as I stared wide-eyed at Loki. He had this smirk slapped across his face and this smoldering look in his eyes. I slowly returned the smirk, my shy side flying out the window.

"You are asking for it," I warned him.

Loki laughed.

"We are going to cause more trouble than I believe we, or you, tend to cause," I said.

"It's not trouble, darling. It's just mischief," he said.

I smiled at him and looked up to see that we were standing in the entryway of the Observatory. Loki dismounted and assisted me to ensure I didn't slip and fall. Then, he took my hand and led me inside where Heimdall was standing. He bowed his head to us.

"Heimdall," Loki addressed.

"My King. Lady Avery," Heimdall spoke.

"Have you any news as to the goings on on Midgard. Any news from Thor?" Loki asked.

Heimdall nodded his head once.

"The Avengers have assembled. They are residing in their tower in New York City. Thor is there as well, my King. I have no news to report from him."

Loki nodded.

"Do tell us if anything changes. I want to know when Avery and I are needed as soon as a problem arises."

"Of course, my King, but I must warn you. It will not be wise to make a grand entrance on Midgard, as you are so known for," Heimdall said, a slight smile on his lips.

Loki snorted.

"What fun is that?" he asked.

"Just be warned," Heimdall said.

Loki gave the gatekeeper a sideways smile.

"I will keep that in mind, Heimdall. I have appointed the Warrior's Three and Lady Sif to the throne in my absence, as you may already know."

"I do, my King."

Loki smiled.

"See that they remain safe, and aid them if necessary," he said.

Heimdall bowed his head.

"As you wish," he said.

Loki nodded to the gate keeper, then turned to me.

"We must go train," he said to me.

I nodded, then looked over at Heimdall.

"Have a good day, Heimdall," I said.

Heimdall smiled.

"You as well, my lady."

With that, Loki and I left, knowing another test was in store for me.

***

"This isn't working," I grunted.

"You're not trying hard enough," Loki growled.

We were in the arena, a grand stadium like the Colosseum in Rome. It was designed for recreational activities that Asgardians, royal and otherwise, could attend and enjoy themselves on the weekends or during special holidays. On other days, it was a training facility reserved for warriors. Loki had reserved it today for us to practice, preparing for our impending trip to Midgard. Unfortunately, it wasn't going so well. Neither of us could knock the other on their butt, and Loki's pushiness was getting on my nerves.

"What the hell do you want me to do, Loki? Turn you into a goat?" I snapped.

Loki released me.

"I'm trying to prepare you!" he shouted.

I gritted my teeth. He wanted to piss me off enough where I would let loose, that way he could force me to focus my powers and use them to my advantage. However, I was just getting frustrated.

"I can keep a lid on my powers, Loki. You're just pissing me off," I growled.

Loki's face fell.

"You can't unleash my powers, because it's different with you. It's aggravation, Loki. Not rage! The only shit that outrages me is when people insult or attack the people I love and care about. Like that woman who insulted you! Right now you're making me wish I had just kept walking," I said.

That was low, and I knew it. Loki cast a glance at the ground. My God, I was a wicked bitch!

"Okay, Ave," he said.

I felt a lump tighten in my chest. Why did I say that?

"Maybe we should take a break," he said quietly, sad eyes looking up at me.

I bit my lip and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Loki, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that," I said, "This is just frustrating. We're equal powers. We cancel each other out. The only way we're going to figure out how to channel my magic is to wing it, and…I know you're trying so hard to help, but I can't fight you."

Loki let out a sharp exhale through his nose and his shoulders dropped.

"I could try to rip your throat out right now, but once I touch you, I just…I can't. We can't prepare for something like this. We just have to go for it," I said.

Loki watched me thoughtfully. He then slowly approached me.

"We seem to always run into this problem," he said.

I just nodded.

"If we're playing, it's one thing, but with intent to kill…" I trailed off.

Loki stepped up to me. I looked up at him and I felt like shrinking. I felt so bad for snapping at him.

"Remember when we were younger," he said, his voice not at all mad, as he should be, "and we got into that little fight?"

I snorted.

"You mean that knock-down drag-out we had in the dining hall?" I asked.

"I was giving you grief about that circle and angered you. The one you insisted on opening and almost got yourself killed?"

I meekly nodded. I had created a habit out of opening more and more dark circles. This one was one Loki stopped me from right before my attack from the demons.

"You wanted to cause me pain that day. I struck a nerve I know I should have never struck, and you attacked me."

"But you never hit back. Just tossed me aside so I wouldn't tear you limb from limb," I said.

"And then what happened?" he asked.

I swallowed hard.

"I pinned you to the ground and…I couldn't do it. I wanted to just punch you or…something. I just couldn't. I can't hurt you. There's a mental block," I said.

Loki smiled kindly, his eyes light and curious.

"I'm not sure if you felt how I felt then, but I could never hurt you, for I loved you too much. I believe that our souls are attached."

He touched his fingers to my chest, right above my heart and locked his eyes with mine.

"Training kills me, because I can block out the urge to not hurt you. I see the harm I could do in my mind. I cannot fight you either, Avery. This is our weakness, but it can also be our strength. I don't believe it's rage that fuels you. It's your capacity for love, and I'm not trying to be conceited. You can never be truly wicked, as you fear, because you hold to much love for those that matter to you, and that's your harness. Love balances out the wickedness in you. That's what has always worked for me. My love for my home, my brother, now matter how much he infuriates me, and you, my darling."

Loki took my hands in his and kissed my knuckles.

"Tell me. Had you even planned on coming back for me?" I asked, "After everything?"

Loki smiled.

"That was next on my list. Honest. Due to the Dark Elves' chaos, I had to wait. Had I known you were not safe, I would have come sooner. I just assumed you were safe, Avery."

I nodded.

"Now that you are here, I've been trying to do everything in my power to _keep_ you safe. I don't want to lose you again, sweetheart. That's why I've been so infuriating. I apologize," he said.

I gave him a weak smile and pulled him into a hug. His words hit me in my very core. For years, I felt unwanted. Useless. Like a piece of trash that got blown in the wind, scraped by shoes, and smashed by cars. I had forgotten what friendship felt like, and until now, never knew what true love felt like. To be wanted by someone who would go to extreme measures to keep you.

"After what you've been through, you didn't deserve that," he went on.

"Don't apologize, Loki. I'm sorry for snapping at you," I mumbled into his chest.

Loki tightened his arms around me.

"It's perfectly alright," he said.

He left a lingering kiss on my hairline.

"I love you, Avery," he said, his tone light and honest.

That was it for me. My frustration, anger, guilt, and nightmares boiled to a peak and overflowed in the form of tears. Loki just held me tightly, his true, most intimate side fully opening up. In the wake of my fit, I felt honored to share it with him.

"I love you, too, Loki. So much. I really do feel like shit for snapping at you."

"You are forgiven, darling. Now, no more, Ave. Just take a deep breath, okay?"

Loki tilted his head down and pressed his forehead to mine, holding one hand on the side of my neck. I felt in enveloped in warm, loving energy as Loki involuntarily rocked me from side to side. He kissed me softly, then brushed away the tears with the backs of his fingers.

"There, there. No more tears, okay?"

I nodded and sniffed, composing myself. Loki frowned and shook his head.

"I promise you, Ave, I will try to make things better for you. If I can make one right, it's to be there for you."

I couldn't contain the smile on my face. Loki grinned and tilted my chin up with the crook of his index finger.

"Come on, my pretty," he said.

I snorted and tried not to laugh at the Wicked Witch of the West reference. He pecked my lips and backed away from me.

"Show me your powers," he said.

I smirked. Loki summoned Gungnir, Odin's staff. He held it sideways and spread his legs apart, bracing himself for impact as his determined eyes locked on me, like a lion on it's target prey. I raised my hands, black smoke billowed from my feet, fading into blood red. I hovered a good eight feet into the air. I held my palms up, fire manifesting on my palms with an obnoxious scraping noise I had yet to fix.

"Let's tango, trickster," I said.

I shot fire at Loki. He countered the balls with Gungnir, moving like a well-trained swordsman with a bit of martial arts under his belt. I shot up into the air in a puff of black smoke, laughing like a maniac all the way. When I dive-bombed for Loki, he multiplied and I nearly crashed, skidding and tearing up the grass below my feet. He laughed his ass off at that one. I teleported behind him, easily being able to tell who was the original by sensing his magical signature. I pounced him from behind and blasted us into the air. I flung him up, and he shot green balls of magic at me. I countered them and shot down to the ground, leaving him to free-fall. I landed on my feet and watched as Loki fell, horrified. I held my hands up and whispered a spell that would have his movements in my control. I then gently brought him back down to the ground, face first.

"Did you really think I'd let you fall?" I asked, my hands on my hips.

"I was beginning to believe so," he replied.

I laughed and helped him stand. I then took his collar and fixed it.

"I have your back. I won't let you fall," I said.

Loki smiled warmly.

"It's good to have my partner back," he said.

I just grinned like an idiot.

"Can we fly again? You're much nicer about it than Thor is."

I laughed and grabbed him.

"Where to?" I asked.

"To the throne room, love," he said.

With that, we shot off like a rocket of black smoke.

***  
**Several days later  
Avengers Tower  
New York City, NY**

On a central floor of what used to be Stark Tower, a makeshift hospital and morgue had been installed for injured Avengers and a place where injured civilians could be quickly treated versus waiting on an ambulance. This was actually the idea of Pepper Potts, and was now in use as a laboratory for Dr. Banner, much to Tony's disliking.  
Dr. Banner, Agent Romanoff, Tony, and Thor were standing around an autopsy table, watching Dr. Banner carefully pick at the carcass of the alien brought in by S.H.I.E.L.D. Natasha crossed her arms as she watched on.  
"Pretty disgusting, huh?" she asked Banner.

"Mhmm," he hummed in reply, "Thor, you said Loki had no idea what this thing was?"

Thor shook his head, his thoughts far away from the dead alien as he tried to think of where they could have possibly come from.

"He said he knew not," he replied.

"Was he lying?" Natasha asked bluntly.

Thor glanced up at her.

"No. This interests him far to much to lie," he replied.

"How is he, by the way? Loki?" Tony interrupted, his fists down in a bag of trail mix.

Natasha scoffed.

"Stark, how can you eat when this is laying in front of you?" she asked.

Tony looked down at the carcass and shrugged.

"Hmph. I've seen worse," he said, then tossed a mixture of nuts and raisins into his mouth.

Natasha rolled her eyes.

"I wish he did know what this was. Give us a little bit more insight as to what we're dealing with here," said Dr. Banner.

"They didn't seem to have a significant amount of intelligence. They were fast, though," she said.

"Well, perhaps they won't be such a great threat," Banner said, scooping some heart dust into a vial for testing.

Thor jumped suddenly and spun around to face the window.

"We should bring Steve up here to see this. I bet he'd faint right there," Tony joked.

Thor cautiously walked to the window. He could have sworn he heard something. Some type of animalistic growl in the distance, over the sound of wind and traffic. He peered out the window and thought he saw movement in the distance.

"Stark?" he asked.

He heard Tony move and approach him.

"What's up?" Tony asked all too casually.

Thor lifted a finger up, pressing it to the glass.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or…"

Tony squinted. Out on the farthest point they could see, a dark mass, all the same color as the corpse on the bed, came moving in like spilt black ink.

"Uh, nope. You're right," Tony said, then spun around, "Guys, suit up now! We got incoming."

Dr. Banner and Natasha's heads snapped up to look at Tony.

"What?" Natasha asked.

"Call in S.H.I.E.L.D.," Tony said, he and Thor beginning to walk out the door, "E.T.'s brothers and sisters are coming for him."

Dr. Banner and Natasha exchanged worried glances.

"Crap," Banner said, taking his glasses off as he and Natasha followed Tony and Thor out into the hallway.

Tony activated the earpiece in his ear.

"Everyone suit up," he said, his voice echoing through the tower's intercom system, "We got about a million little martians coming. Suit up and pack up. Let them overtake the tower to get the body. We're out of here. Don't let one touch you."

"Shoot it in the heart," Natasha added.

"You really think they're after the body, Stark?" Dr. Banner asked.

A piece of Tony's suit flew from out of nowhere and clamped around his thigh.

"Little dudes that can kill you by touch, dead or alive, in a confined space like this? Whether they're after the body or not, I'm out of here," he said.

"You're just going to chicken out?" Steve asked, appearing around the corner, yanking his mask down.

"You're going with me, Cap," he said.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Natasha asked, "If those things are headed this way, someone is going to have to fight them off before they kill civilians."

"That's what S.H.I.E.L.D. is for. Don't worry, Romanoff. I have a plan," Tony replied.

"It better be a good one," Steve said.

As they jogged down the stairs, Thor glanced outside and noticed a dark storm building in the sky, a feeling of dread blowing in with it. War was about to begin, and he feared that New York did not stand a fighting chance.

***

"Avery."

The voice was distant, as if I were underwater. Knowing I was dreaming, I didn't respond.

"Avery, wake up."

It was Loki's voice. There was no doubting that.

I grabbed my covers, pulled them to my chin, and rolled away from him.

"I'll skip breakfast today. Just give me another hour," I grumbled.

Loki groaned and rolled me back over.

"Avery, wake up now!" he demanded.

I peeled my eyes open to see a pair of worried blue eyes looming over me.

"What's going on?" I asked, stretching.

"We don't have much time. Those aliens that landed on Midgard, there's a swarm of them heading for New York. We have to go."

My jaw dropped.

"Shit!" I hissed.

I tossed off my covers, accidentally smacking Loki with them as I tore out of bed.

"I'll meet you in the entry hall," he said.

"No time," I said.

Loki stared at like I was crazy. I held my hands up, my newly arrived armor shooting out of the wardrobe and morphing to me. My armor was very similar to Loki's. Completely black, silver braces, platelets, and lining. It was made out of impenetrable leather, metal, and a substance similar to plastic on the breastplate. The top closed asymmetrically, like that of a Midgardian biker's jacket. Slim fitting. Less restrictive than I thought it would be, but still hard to breathe in. The pants were also leather, intricate pieces around the knees and platelets surrounding my exposed areas, and they fit like a glove. For extra protection, I requested a jacket to match. It was made out of the same leather, plates of ornate silver metal, and ended at the knee.  
Loki smirked.

"I wonder where that idea came from," he teased.

I rolled my eyes and summoned a wooden box from the bottom of my wardrobe. It flew over to the bed and popped open. I grabbed a bracelet from the bottom and took one of Loki's hands, placing it in his palm. He looked from the dark gray ring of metal to me, confused.

"Put that on and swear to me you won't take it off, Loki," I ordered.

He nodded and slipped it over his right hand.

"It will protect you. I don't want you getting killed out there."

I shut the box and shrunk it to the size of a penny. I placed it in my pocket and walked over to the balcony doors, opening them.

"Come on," I said to Loki.

Loki jogged over to me.

"Hold on to me," I ordered.

Loki put an arm around my waist. I knew when I had the chance, I would have to teach him how to fly. I grabbed his arm and shot us out of the palace and to the Observatory.  
When we landed, Loki missed his footing and stumbling. I grabbed him before he could go down.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Loki just nodded and took my hand, tugging me into the Observatory.

"They are minutes from being overpowered," Heimdall said.

Loki nodded.

"Send us there, Heimdall."

Heimdall nodded and drove his staff into the platform. The Observatory spun around us.

"Stay right by my side, Avery. I can't risk losing you," he murmured.

I looked over at him, not missing the small flutter in my chest. He frowned and gave my hand a tight squeeze before we were enveloped in light.

***  
**Secluded beach on the Atlantic coast**

"Stark!" Steve barked as he took out an alien with his shield.

Tony, clad in his Iron Man suit, flew over the Captain and took out ten aliens at once.

"Kinda busy, Cap," he replied.

"I thought you said they wouldn't find us here!" Steve shouted.

Right as he took out another alien, an arrow flew by him and blew out the heart of an alien who had snuck up on him. Clint appeared beside him and the Hulk blew through a group, bones shattering and raining down in the wet sand. Their powers of instant death seemed futile on him.

"They must be out for revenge," Natasha spoke through her earpiece.

Thor flew down from the sky, using the incoming storm as an advantage, and electrocuted a large chunk of the swarm, leaving the Avengers with some time. In the distance, more were coming in. The Avengers gathered around each other.

"We can't take them all," Clint said.

"Well, where's S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Tony asked.

"They're coming in," Natasha said.

"They better hurry," Steve said.

"Barton is right," Thor said, "They will reach us before S.H.I.E.L.D."

The Avengers remained silent. Tony shot into the air, looking over the incoming swarm.

"We're hopelessly outnumbered, guys. These guys are bigger, too," he said.

He hovered back down to the sand.

"So, what do we do?" Clint asked.

No one had an answer.

***

Loki was ripped away from me during flight. Whether it was his own doing, or by the sheer force of shooting through Earth's atmosphere, I was not sure. Whatever the reason, I had to do what I had to do. I aimed myself, shrouded myself in magic, and pierced through the clouds. There was a head-splitting crack as I plummeted towards the Earth. I aimed myself for a building's rooftop. Engulfed in fire, I'm sure I looked like a meteor. NASA, and no doubt S.H.I.E.L.D. would be all over this. At the moment, I didn't care. I was focused on controlling my landing. Too much force, and I could destroy the building. Too little, and I could hurt myself.  
Through the fire, I saw a tornado of gray clouds and rainbow light spinning towards me. I didn't have much time to react. A pentacle of fire ignited on the rooftop, marking my landing spot. I braced myself. The tornado met me right as I landed, creating a small crater in the roof. The base of the tornado went up in flames. I stood inside the crater, frantically searching for Loki as the fire spun around me. I held my hands up and extinguished it. Loki was kneeling before me, having just landed. How I wish I could have taken a picture!

"Now who's kneeling?" I teased.

Loki looked up at me and gritted his teeth, giving me that "when we get home, God help you" look.

"Avery, now is not the time for your jests. We need to figure out our location," he said.

Loki stood and looked around. I turned to see small explosions and bursts of light emitting from the west. Bodies of bones were flying left and right, either exploding by gunshot, crushed to pieces, or vaporized. I immediately recognized the creatures as demons—demons I knew to be extinct.

"My God," Loki breathed out.

"Those are definitely demons," I said.

Loki watched as Iron Man flew up and destroyed a larger one.

"Just what I feared. They're minions for someone. The question is, who?"

I nodded in agreement.

"Someone who apparently knew how to bring back the dead. No doubt they have something to do with the portals. That must be how they're traveling," I said.

"That's what I was thinking, as well, Ave. Creating portals between Realms to take out the races that dwell there," he said.

"But why?" I asked.

He gave me an unamused smirk.

"World domination, perhaps?"

I rolled my eyes. Loki huffed and looked back out onto the battle with a troubled look in his eyes.

"It's only a matter of time before they find their way into Asgard," he said solemnly.

I nodded.

"So we need to take them out now. As much as the two of us despise this Realm, it's not disposable," I said.

"You're right about that," he said, "As much as I hate to admit it."

"So what is our plan? There's not much space to work in. Sand or water," I said.

Loki crossed his arms over his chest and surveyed the battle. The Avengers were stuck in the middle of the beach, completely surrounded in demons. They were soon to be overwhelmed, and the sight worried me.

"Can we take them? Will we be any help at all?" I asked worriedly.

Loki's eyes darted from demon to Avenger and back.

"You see their hearts, Ave? Those glowing orange orbs inside their ribcages?" he asked, pointing to a larger demon screaming down at a screaming Hulk.

"Yeah," I replied.

"That's your kill shot," he said.

"What do you think it's pumping? That can't be blood," I said curiously.

Loki shook his head.

"Something of wholly evil, I'm sure. Nevertheless, that's their life source," he said, "Avoid the dust."

"The dust won't hurt you," I said.

Loki jumped and looked down on me with a raised eyebrow.

"How can you know that?" he asked.

I pointed out to the demon swarm.

"These demons were of Niflheim. Thought to be extinct. This branch of demons, anyway. They are made of pure death, save for their hearts. Their hearts are life, and its been used in apothecaries and witchcraft to revive the dead, or save someone from the brink of death."

"Have you used it?" he asked.

I shook my head. Loki sighed and looked from me to the battle.

"We may today," he said, "Avery, I want you to listen very carefully. Think of the deadliest, most penetrable curse you can. When I say so, cast it at me."

"What?" I squeaked in horror.

Loki groaned and took me by the shoulders. He leaned down, connecting his eyes with mine.

"Cast it at me. I will multiply and send it everywhere at once. It should be effective enough to take out most, if not all of the demons," he said.

"Loki, what if I kill you?" I asked.

Loki pressed his hand to my chest plate. A flash of light shot from it, but nothing happened. He straightened, looking slightly proud of himself.

"What?" I asked, a little annoyed.

"That should have killed you, Ave," he said.

I looked down at myself, then back up to him. His eyes were wide, but his expression was calm and relieved.

"I cannot kill you, love. You said it before. Our powers cancel each other out. You could not kill me if you wanted to," he said.

I took a deep breath. I couldn't kill Loki, which to me, was amazing news. However, this meant I could only take out powers lower than mine.

"Let's hope these demons are weak," I said.

Loki nodded.

"Stay near me, okay?" he asked.

I nodded. Loki nodded once and looked out onto the losing battle.

"Can you fly us over there?" he asked.

I smirked.

"Can you take a little heat, Scarecrow?" I teased.

Loki grinned.

"Fly, Witch," he said.

I laughed and grabbed him shooting off of the roof and to the battle in a plume of smoke, which quickly turned into a blazing ball of fire. Loki curled into me, ready to spring away. The Avengers looked up to see the fire and bolted. We landed where the once stood, both of us landing on our feet, standing back to back. There was a collective gasp from the Avengers.

"Loki," someone breathed.

Loki chuckled darkly.

"Miss me?" he asked.

As soon as spoke, a demon screamed. I reached behind me, grabbed Loki, and sent him airborne. I cast the curse at Loki, fearing it would rip him to shreds. However, he multiplied into an uncountable amount of him, splitting the curse and sending it into the hearts of the surrounding demons. One near Loki shrieked and fell towards him. I cast a spell on Loki and yanked him safely to the sand.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Don't worry about me. Go!" he ordered.

I turned away from him and began attacking the demons on my right, taking them out without much effort. Loki sent daggers flying, but what the daggers didn't attack, his magic did. Surprisingly, I was having a blast. These demons were easy. With glowing hearts as easy targets, I took them out with little effort. However, in having fun, my wicked side kicking in full throttle, I neglected to pay attention to my backside.  
A skeletal hand the size of a car came down on me. I screamed and fell back, tripping over a rock and landed in the cold, wet sand. The demon caged me underneath his fingers and leaned down to me. I felt coldness wash over me. Bitter cold that made Jotunheim feel like a summer vacation in Cozumel, Mexico. My body felt numb, save for my head, which exploded with a splitting headache and my stomach cramped up. My body usually reacted to the energy of the dead, but not to this extent. I felt dizzy, not to mention full of all consuming hate. The demon leaned down to me, his face a few yards from mine. His head was all skull, dark blue in color with cracks. Aged like a bone left out in the sun. Its eyes were glowing orange, and transparent, so you could see the fluids and inner workings inside. It's teeth were a dark gray, and every single one of them were as sharp was an ice pick. Its canines were much larger, like that of a sabertooth tiger or a vampire.  
It gazed down at me for a moment before it opened its mouth and screamed. My headache became unbearable and I also began screaming. The noises coming from it were unholy, and the frequency of the sound I'm sure could not be heard by the others. The dead speak at a higher vibration than the living, and unfortunately, I was the only one to hear it. It screamed loud enough to wake every dead body in Midgard, and its energy was soaking up mine, leaving me useless and defenseless.  
Suddenly, Thor was swinging Mjolnir away at the creature, and freed me from its icy energy and the agonizing pain in my head, chest, and stomach. Loki appeared above me, his hands immediately on my face.

"Are you okay, Avery? What did it do to you? Speak to me, darling," he said frantically.

I wiped the tears that had been created from the pain.

"I'm okay," I croaked out.

I did not feel okay, though. I felt terrible. Drained. A sense of hopelessness and loss around me. A sense of unexplainable fear. All side effects of the dead, and I knew this, but it was still easy to believe as reality.

"You're not, Ave. Come here," he said.

I put my arms around his neck as he scooped me up and held me in his lap. I curled against him.

"Are you injured?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"Good," he breathed, sounding relieved.

Loki cradled the back of my head against his chest.

"Just take deep breaths, love."

"Did we do it?" I asked.

"They're gone. Now stay calm," he said.

I nodded. Behind us, we heard several clicks of guns being cocked, as well as the high-pitched noise of a pulser on Stark warming up. Loki and I looked up to see a group of people in black uniforms with their guns pointed at us, with Stark at the front with a glowing hand raised.

"Shit," I whispered.

Loki snarled.

"Thor, take her," he said.

Thor came to my side. Loki helped me up and put me in Thor's care before approaching the armed group.

"Are you okay?" Thor whispered, putting a massive arm around my shoulder.

"I'm fine, thank-you," I replied, then turned to watch Loki every so calmly approach Stark.

"Is this my warm welcome?" he asked.

"You should be in prison," a red-headed woman growled.

"Or dead," a man beside her with a bow and arrow added.

Loki just smiled.

"Yet here I am," he said smoothly.

"Not for long," Stark said, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Loki stiffened.

"Saving your life," he said.

"Uh no! That's not why you're here," Stark said.

Loki snorted.

"I have just as much business here as you, Stark. It is my duty to help protect this Realm. After all, I have inherited the throne of Asgard," he said.

"How in the hell…?" Stark looked to Thor, "Why isn't he in prison where he belongs? You guys just put prisoners on the throne?"

"Loki risked his life to save myself, Jane Foster, and Asgard in the last war with the Dark Elves. He is not the Loki you once saw," he replied.

"Bullshit!" Stark snapped, "The Loki I know killed thousands of people just to take over Earth. That's not redeemable by any means. You've come back for vengeance."

"You don't know what I've been through!" Loki roared, "I've walked the Seven Circles of Hell. Been to places I never want to see again. The Chitauri used me, possessed me. What you saw was not me! That was the Chitauri! Barton, you've been under the spell of the Tesseract. You know what it's like. To have your mind taken over by something you cannot control. To kill or be killed. I was a pawn in that war! Used to give the Chitauri a Realm to rule over. Had I a failed, I would have been killed! I would have known something worse than death, so I did what I had to to survive. So don't you accuse me. I mean your people no harm. These demons are appearing all over the Nine Realms. I mean to help. That's all."

Stark's face plate lifted to reveal the livid billionaire.

"What makes you think I would trust you?" he asked lowly.

Loki raised his hands in the air.

"I do not ask for your trust, but its obvious you need my help. Am I wrong?" he asked.

Stark sighed and lowered his hand.

"We don't need your help," the man called Barton said, "Why would we want it? You are nothing more than a terrorist, and you have three seconds before I shoot you point blank. Right here. Right now."

That was it for me. With the last of my energy, I transported myself between Loki and the mob of angry Avengers.

"How dare you!" Loki snarled at Barton.

I pressed a hand to Loki's chest, stopping him from attacking the man with the arrow.

"You touch him and I'll kill you," I threatened Barton.

"Oh God, there's two of them," Stark complained.

"Loki will not hurt any of you," I said, loud enough for all to hear, "We mean to help."

"And who are you? His bodyguard?" Stark asked.

"I've had enough of your mouth!" Loki snarled.

I cast a spell, sending Loki flying backwards. The Avengers looked impressed.

"I'm Avery," I said, "I'm Midgardian. I live in Asgard. I'm a witch. I'm his girlfriend. I'm not quite sure how old I am, and I mean you no harm. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

Stark sighed and looked over at Loki. I looked over my shoulder to see him stand and dust himself off.

"He won't hurt anyone. Look at his eyes. Those aren't Chitauri eyes. Those are his. We're all in the same boat with the demons. As much as you may hate it, you need our help," I said.

Stark nodded.

"Okay, fine. We'll give you two one chance, but—"

"If I betray you, you'll kill me?" Loki asked, then laughed, "Where have I heard that before?"

Thor glared daggers at his brother.

"Loki, stop it," he said, "Let them help. They know these demons, and they may be our only chance."

The Avengers exchanged unsure glances.

"Fine," Stark said, "One chance."

Loki bowed his head.

"Thank-you," he said.

Stark seemed surprised. I tried to laugh, but as I did, I felt dizzy and stumbled backwards. Loki caught me before I could lose my balance. I clutched his arm tightly, my world spinning.

"What's wrong, love? Talk to me," he said.

"She needs to see a doctor," said a man I recognized as Captain America.

"Yeah, we need to get her back to the tower," Stark said.

"It's just residual demonic energy," I whispered.

"You need to be cleansed," Loki said.

"I'll drive," the red-headed woman said, "Let's load up. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be here soon, and we'll never leave."

"I agree with you there, Romanoff," Stark said, "I'll meet you guys at the tower."

They nodded.

"Hold on to me," Loki said.

I put my arms around his shoulders. Loki bent his knees and picked me up, holding one arm around my midsection and the other around my legs.

"Loki, I've never seen her like this," I heard Thor murmur.

"Should I call a doctor?" the red-headed woman asked.

"Not necessary," Thor spoke, "Loki is as good of a healer as just need a quiet room."

"That can be arranged," she replied.

After that, I blacked out.

***

Thor stood in the hall with an unsuited Tony Stark, keeping their distance as they glanced into the room set up for Avery. She and Loki were standing in the doorway, Loki holding her tightly in his embrace, dark clouds of magic floating out from Avery's feet as he used his magic to flush the dark energy out of her system. Tony watched on, not sure what to make of what he was watching. He had never seen, much less imagined the trickster, the root of his anxiety problems, be so affectionate. He held the smaller woman with all the care in the world, rubbing circles into her back, whispering kind words, gently holding her hand as residual pain rolled through her.

"He's changed?" Tony asked Thor.

"He has," Thor agreed, "He's lost so much these passed few years. Our father took Avery from him. Banished her for being promiscuous, when she was merely spending time with Loki and nothing more. She was known for being evil in the passed, but our mother broke of her of that before it was too late. Then, of course, my banishment, and Father's disowning Loki. While Loki was in prison, our mother died. Loki helped me fight the war with the Dark Elves, then promised he would leave forever to mourn for Mother in peace. Fate had other ideas, and I refused the throne, letting Loki take it. So far, he has been a noble King, and now he has one part of his life back."

Tony watched on, nodding.

"He has a purpose now," Thor said, "He won't harm anyone."

Tony looked up at the God of Thunder with a raised eyebrow.

"Have faith in him," Thor said before turning away.

Tony looked back to see Loki kiss his shaking girlfriend's forehead. It made him think of Pepper, and no matter what turmoil he was going through, she always grounded him. After seeing Avery knock Loki to the ground, it gave him a twinge of hope that the Silver-tongued God of Mischief could be trusted. He was aware of Loki's powers, and he hoped that by gaining Loki as an ally, they would gain a powerful asset.


	11. Tony's Brilliant Idea

Loki walked down the hallways of the Avengers Tower in search of his brother. He listened carefully for Thor's massive, lumbering footsteps or his booming voice. When he heard footsteps of another, he backed away and searched in a different direction. He did not want to confront any of the Avengers at the moment. He just wanted to speak with his brother before finding which room they would put him in, while giving Avery some time to herself. He walked up a staircase. It was lit with can lights in the ceiling, and curved to a room where sunlight was streaming down the wall. He could hear the low grumble of his brother's voice, accompanied with a few others. Their tones seemed calm, so he proceeded up the staircase, hoping to pull Thor away for a moment before finding something else to do.  
Loki climbed the curved staircase and was greeted by a large lounge room, one similar to the one he confronted Stark in, then was attacked by the Hulk. He knew it was probably the same room. Inside, Thor was sitting on a couch in Midgardian wear. Stark, as usual, was behind the bar pouring himself a drink, while Dr. Banner was sitting at the bar, typing away on a laptop. Loki nervously walked in the doorway.

"Mm!" Tony said, his mouth full of alcohol as he spotted Loki.

He swallowed and pointed to Loki.

"Reindeer Games!" he said.

Loki glared at him.

"Brother, he merely jests," Thor said, "Please come in and sit with us."

Loki took a deep breath.

"We won't bite," Tony said.

Loki bit the inside of his cheek and slowly walked in. Thor looked up worriedly at him. Loki looked to him like a fawn timidly approaching food. One false movement, and Thor feared he would run.

"You look tired brother," he observed.

Loki nervously scratched at the inside of his palm.

"One would be after channeling so much dark energy," he replied flatly.

Thor sighed. He knew whatever demonic magic the creatures had possessed, it was vile. Intense as Chitauri possession, but evil beyond anything Thor could imagine.

"Is she okay?" Thor asked in a small voice, uncharacteristic of the usually loud man.

Loki blinked slowly as he nodded.

"That shouldn't have happened. It will take her days to return to power," he said, gritting his jaw in anger.

"Well, it is a good thing she's okay. That's all that matters," Thor said, trying to be optimistic.

"We can keep her safe until her power returns," Tony offered.

Loki's head snapped over to Tony, surprised in the billionaire. Tony stared at Loki with wide eyes, not sure whether he should have spoke.

"Do not fret, brother," Thor said, "For now, relax with us."

Loki sighed. How could he relax? There were demons on the loose, creating portals between the Realms, causing universe-wide chaos. Avery was on the brink of a meltdown, and he felt helpless.

"Would you like that drink now, Loki?" Tony asked, trying to lighten the mood with the joke.

Loki rolled his eyes.

"I'm just trying to help, man. That's all. No tricks. No tension," he added.

When Loki looked at Tony, the man of snarky remarks nearly choked on his drink. Loki's expression held one of uncertainty and a sense of gloom and vulnerability. His eyes were sad, and a mix between pale green and gray. Not the same blue of the madman that tried to possess him, then choked him and sent him flying out the window. Avery was right, and now he saw Loki's change fully.

"Not at the moment," Loki replied.

Tony nodded.

"Fair enough," he said.

Loki turned and sat on the couch, his arms crossed over his chest and cast his eyes downward.

"Well," Banner spoke up, "We are grateful that you're here. We really could use your help."

Loki glanced up at him.

"The others may not be," Tony said, "but we are. We couldn't have taken that hoard by ourselves."

Loki said nothing.

"Thor said you didn't know what they were," Dr. Banner said.

"Avery knows more than I do," he said, "I know they were once an extinct species of demon."

"How does she know?" Tony asked curiously.

"She specializes in the dead," Thor spoke up.

"Don't say it like it is a title," Loki spat, "Her dealings with the dead are over. She knows of these demons, but I will not force her back into the life Mother saved her from."

Thor frowned.

"I did not mean any insult, Loki. I only meant that her knowledge of that world is vast. She is the only hope we have at this point," he said.

Loki looked from his brother to the two scientists. He had a feeling they already knew too much about Avery, and he didn't trust them. They would pump all they could out of her. They would wring her dry of her magic for their own gain. He would be damned to let that happen.

"She will provide the help she can give, but she is not as strong as she used to be. I refuse to have any more pressure placed on her shoulders than need be," he said sternly.

Tony and Banner nodded.

"Deal," Banner said.

They were silent for a moment. Tony topped off his drink and approached Loki.

"What do you think the demons will do next?" he asked the long-haired man.

Loki's eyes wheeled up to look at him.

"I know not," he said quietly.

Loki stood.

"Just stay on high alert."

The scientists nodded. Loki opened his mouth again, ready for the offered drink when a feeling crept up his side, penetrating him deep. An all-consuming, emotional pain ripped through him—a pain not his own. It felt lonely, longing for compassion, but at the same time, fighting it. Although, there was not much fight. Loki closed his eyes and shook his head.

"What's the matter, Loki?" Banner asked softly.

"I'm fine. I'll return later, perhaps," he said.

A collection of unsure "okays" came from the scientists. Loki, out of respect, bowed his head before turning on his heel and descending down the staircase. As he walked, he held a finger in the air and spun it, trading out his heavy armor for a more comfortable green tunic, black vest that flowed to his knees, and comfortable olive green pants with softer, lighter brown boots. As he walked, Barton walked by him. Loki made eye contact with him, but said nothing. Barton merely nodded and kept his distance. Loki knew he would eventually have to make amends with the marksman, for he may need his assistance, but for now, his heart was tugging him in a different direction.

***

I sat in the window seat of my room, letting the sunlight warm me. I had pulled out a few of my tools, including a few candles, purifying incense that was now burning in a small cauldron, a piece of Amethyst, Black Tourmaline, and Labradorite in my lap. I lit the white candle with a small cigarette lighter.

"Mother Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit; I ask thee to Cleanse my body of all negative energies," I recited.

I then lit the black candle and repeated before lighting the green.

"Mother Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit; I ask the to Free and heal my body from all negative forces. Blessed be," I said, my voice cracking at the end.

The energy from my stones vibrated through my knees, the Amethyst creating a tingling sensation and drained the physical pain from my body. The Black Tourmaline calmed me as I watched the little votives burn and breathed in the smell of the incense. The Labradorite, remained calm, but as I looked at it, it triggered my emotional releases. I felt my chest knot up involuntarily, and my eyes burned. I didn't want to release this way, but the forces knew differently.  
I let out a shaky breath and looked down at my candles. The black and white remained steady, but the green flickered violently. A smile crept up onto my face. I blew out my candles and placed the rocks back inside their velvet pouches. I pulled the drawstrings ever so slowly, reluctant to acknowledge the new presence in the room. After finally packing the Tourmaline away, I pulled my knees to my chin.

"Come here, Loki," I said softly.

Loki shimmered to visibility, standing with his feet apart and his hands casually held behind his back. He didn't move as he curiously looked around the room.

"It may not be home, but this room is nice enough," he said lightly.

I glanced up at him. He was trying to change the subject. Distract me.

"I can assure you, we won't be here long," I said bitterly.

Loki laughed.

"I agree, darling Avery," he said.

I looked away from him and down to my candles. The mood grew heavier with the silence.

"Why do you fight yourself so much?" he asked.

I let out a humorless laugh.

"You could sense that?" I said, not really asking.

Loki slowly approached me.

"Part of being an expert liesmith is to be able to read emotions well," he said.

He walked over to the window seat and delicately picked up my tools, setting them on the dresser nearby to give himself space to sit down. He sat at my feet and leaned over to me, his back to the window and his eyes trying to lock with mine.

"However, I can read you far easier, my dear," he went on, "I can almost hear you fighting a summon, Ave. If you wanted my presence so badly, why did you fight it?"

I blinked, fighting down my emotions. I felt foolish. I knew better than to think I could hide from Loki. We had been too open with each other in the time we had known each other. Too bonded. I could not mask my pain, as much as I wanted to. To hide it. To fight it on my own.

"So, I wouldn't be weak," I whispered.

The weight of my own words struck a nerve, and I had to clench my jaw tightly to hold everything back.

"Darling, you are not weak," he said, leaning down and holding the side of my neck, the gentle touch of affection only making things worse.

"Loki, look at me!" I exclaimed, "I didn't used to be this way. Just let my emotions get the best of me. Crack at the drop of a hat!"

"I don't blame you, sweetheart," he said, "What's happened to you…I can't imagine how broken you must feel. Banished, left to be abused by the scum of the Earth, then the news of Frigga's death, not to mention your sudden injury in Jotunheim."

I bit my lip and looked away from him, shaking hard to keep myself from crying. That was the last thing I wanted to do. Loki climbed to his knees and cupped my face in his hands. I looked up to see his eyes, a mixture of blue and green, pierce through mine.

"It hurts me too, you know? Seeing such a strong, beautiful woman so lost," he said softly.

I wanted to crumble to pieces and smack the crap out of him at the same time. I had to resort to looking out the window. Loki sighed and slipped his fingers under my bent knees, guiding my legs into his lap as he scooted closer to me. He ran a hand over my hair and down, lightly combing through my hair as he coaxed me to him. I looked up to him as his fingers gently caressed my cheek. His eyes were pleading with me.

"Avery," he said, his voice holding authority, "I promise you, I will help you. You just have to let me."

My eyes watered up. I wanted him to. God, how I wanted him to, but my pride and dignity would not let me. I felt weak, though I knew I was not. However, to let Loki help me made me feel like I had lost my independence. It was not like I didn't want him, because I needed him, but I was torn between holding on to the last shreds of independence that I had, and letting Loki pull me out.

"I don't want you to help me. I can do this," I said, my tone betraying me.

Loki shook his head and moved his hand to hold my cheek.

"Not an option," he said, "Let me bring you back up again. Please?"

I shook my head. Loki let out a small growl and grabbed my wrists. I tried to recoil, but his grip was firm.

"Loki," I tried to argue.

I squirmed, but it was no use.

"Avery, stop it!" he growled through his teeth.

I let out a cry and could no longer keep my emotions in check.

"You need me, Ave, and I need you. Don't block me out," he pleaded.

I quit trying to yank myself away from him looked at him. Loki held up his hand, producing a small, purple spring flower. I watched it in awe.

"Release the rest of that dark energy, sweetheart," he said.

He gently blew on the flower. It burst into purple dust and it quickly absorbed into my skin. I let out a sob and Loki quickly gathered me up, rocking me back and forth as he consoled me.

"There you go," he murmured, "You're okay. Just let it out."

I clutched the hem of his vest and buried myself into his chest. Loki perched his chin on top of my head and held me tightly. I felt the negative energy rushing out of me. I wanted to release the rest of it so badly, but I had wanted to find a way that didn't result in me being a blubbering mess. This seemed to be the only way. I cried angrily, then cycled to sheer misery and pain. Everything that demon wanted me to feel, I felt it, fought it, and released it.

"There. Is that not better?" he asked, his voice delicate.

I sniffed and tried to collect myself. In truth, I did feel like a weight had been lifted from me. A witch, especially one that deals with the strong powers of the dead, has to work with different emotions at once. People of magic, such as Loki and myself, feel much more and are far more sensitive to ourselves and our surroundings, be they people or place. When you cycle through endless love, happiness, and bliss or hate, fear, and loneliness, it can take its toll. It is essential to release that energy to keep you sane, happy, and healthy. If it collects, you can loose your nerve, your senses, and inevitably destroy yourself. If you don't laugh, cry, smash a mirror, or anything else, you will not heal. You must cleanse and surround yourself in things that make you feel like you. In my case, I invited magic.

"It is. Thank-you," I replied quietly.

Loki smiled and pressed his lips to mine. They were warm, and no less than loving. He made me feel restored in a way no else could. Restoring my hope in myself, my ability to see the light in my life, and to turn the love switch back on. How I lived so long without him was beyond me.  
I pulled away from his kiss and hugged him.

"Are you okay, though? You didn't look so good when you flushed me," I said.

He gave me a tired smile.

"I'm fine. I've learned to block out dark energy. It doesn't have much of an effect on me. I just hated the thought of that energy inside of you," he said sadly.

I sighed and kissed his cheek.

"Well, it's over now. Time to forget about it and move on," I said.

Loki smiled. I placed my hand on his cheek, slowly rubbing my thumb over his cheekbone.

"What would I do without you, my dear Loki?" I asked playfully.

Loki just grinned and took one of my hands, kissing my knuckles.

"I wonder the same, darling," he said softly, making me smile like an idiot.

He gently slid out from under my legs and laid them back on the seat before standing. I watched as he slid his vest off.

"Loki?" I asked, "Can I ask you something?"

Loki folded his vest and laid it neatly on the bed.

"Yes, love," he replied.

"Even if it's sensitive?" I asked.

Loki looked at me over his shoulder. His expression was hard to read, but I detected a hint of worry in his eyes. He turned to face me and sat on the edge of the bed.

"What troubles you so, darling?" he asked.

The look on his face broke my heart. They way his eyebrows moved up, like a sad child with large, pleading eyes. I turned to face him fully and reached over to take his hands, mine not able to wrap around his much larger hands. Loki gently wrapped his fingers around my hands, his thumbs absently rubbing the tops.

"I just wanted…wanted to know what happened to you," I said, keeping my eyes cast down in fear of what his reaction would be.

Loki remained quiet and calm, but his thumbs ceased movement.

"With the Chitauri?" he asked.

I meekly nodded. Loki groaned.

"Ave," he said, making my look up at him, "That is not an image I want you to see."

I watched as pain crossed his features. I didn't want to cause a fight or bring up the nightmares, but I wanted to at least know how he came to killing thousands under the control of the damned Chitauri.

"I don't want to know the dirty details. I was just curious."

I peeked up through my hair, gauging his reaction timidly. He just smiled at me. He leaned over and took my chin in between his fingertips.

"Nothing good comes out of your curiosity," he said jokingly.

I smiled and gently pushed his hand away. He snatched my hand and kissed my knuckles through a smile.

"You really wish to know?" he asked.

I merely nodded. His face fell to a frown and he let go of my hand. I watched as he stood, his towering form turning as he crossed his arms to lift his shirt. I caught a glimpse of his abs as he turned to show me his back. What I saw made me gasp. Loki turned his head awkwardly to look at me over his shoulder.

"It was much worse," he said sadly.

I stood and cautiously approached him. Coming from his spine, a jagged scar was present on his pale skin. I stared at in horror. The scar has nearly six inches long, and had regenerated improperly. It made me sick, thinking about it. Whatever it was that had caused the scar had permanently damaged the area. Loki, like any Aesir, had extremely dense skin and regenerated a an extremely high rate. With his magic, he could put his head back on in the case of it being severed, and live to tell the tale. This scar was not going away for a while, and it was a permanent reminder of what happened to him.

"I refused a command, and they pinned me to a rock with the scepter. They claimed they needed my blood spilt on the blade to claim loyalty, when all they needed my blood for was completion of possession of my mind and soul."

I bit my lip and gently touched the skin below the scar.

"It still stings," he murmured.

I grabbed the hem of his tunic and guided it back down to cover his skin. I then hugged his left arm with one arm and wrapped the other around his waist, laying my cheek against his soft sleeve. I could only imagine what happened to him. The toll it must have taken on him.

"The Chitauri wanted Midgard, and they thought using an Asgardian sorcerer was their best bet into getting what they wanted. I would not go willing, so they took my mind as their's, taking advantage of my powers. My skills with words and my want of a throne. When they captured me, I told them of my petty fight with Thor and Odin. Acting like a fool. I neglected to tell them what I told Thor. That I never wanted the throne. I just wanted to make my brother envious. They used that as their main vehicle of manipulation."

I felt him tense up. I glanced up to see him grinding his teeth and glaring at nothing in deep thought.

"A mere pawn," he said, disgusted, "Seems as if that's been my only role."

I sighed and looked back down. I gave him a light squeeze and nuzzled his arm. What had happened, what with Odin using him to create a truce between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants, leading him on to believe he could be a king—that he had a chance, then fighting for survival in worlds foreign to him, forced into working for the Chitauri, having his mind tinkered with, after already experienced emotional trauma. I knew he felt betrayed and alone, but he had done heroic things. He was trying so hard in a realm he could not truly call home. His identity was muddied. The puzzle pieces of his life were scattered and lost. I wished there was something I could do. Loki was exceedingly intelligent, not to mention powerful. He could do anything as King that he set his mind to. He could prove he could be as good, if not better than Odin. He just needed to find solid ground again.

"Don't be so perceptive of yourself," I said, closing my eyes as I tried to transfer loving energy to him.

Loki shuddered, and at first I thought it was from feeling the transfer, but he then spun out of my grasp. I just knew I had pissed him off and said something I should have kept trapped in my mouth, but when he collided into my with a crushing hug, I tossed that thought aside and hugged him.

"There is more meaning to your life than slaving for someone else, my darling Loki," I said softly.

Loki hugged me tighter, as if shrinking into me, and nuzzled his face into the top of my head.

"Even when no one else believes so," I said, "I do."

Loki sniffed and kissed the side of my head.

"That's what I've always loved about you, sweet Avery. Seeing the good in everything," he said.

I smiled up at him and reached up on tip-toe, coaxing his head down so I could kiss him. I smiled when we parted. Loki pressed his forehead to mine and held his arms around my waist.  
On high, a noise made us part. It sounded of jet engines, and I knew we were in trouble.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.," Loki whispered.

I watched Loki nervously.

"They find out you're here and they'll kill you," I said.

He nodded.

"I'm going to go scope the scene. You stay here," he said.

I opened my mouth to argue, but as Loki turned to leave, he turned back to me and held up a finger, ready to tell me to shut my mouth. He eyed me suspiciously as his body shimmered, his armor returning to him.

"I know you won't listen, but pretend to for me," he teased.

I smiled.

"Of course," I said.

Loki kissed me before turning and leaving me to my thoughts.

***

"I only speak the truth," Thor said.

"Yeah, I know. It's just hard for me to wrap my head around it. You understand, right?" Tony asked as he paced back and forth in front of the sectional.

"I do," Thor confirmed.

"Even with seeing what I saw in the hall, I just…how in the hell does a god go from being pure evil, out to take over the world and kill whoever is in his way, to something so…_human_?"

Dr. Banner smiled.

"I may have knocked some sense into him. Literally," he said, trying not to laugh.

Thor smiled at the doctor and looked from him to Tony.

"He fought honorably in the war with the Dark Elves, despite being a prisoner and losing Mother," he said.

Tony stopped in his tracks and stared at Thor in surprise.

"He was only alive because of her, and when she died, he had no one left, save for myself. He acted eager to help. It was almost like we were children, again. As strange as that may be. He was up to his usual teasing—that humor I understood, but Mother and Father would scold him for."

"I can't believe he risked his life for your girlfriend, though," Tony spoke up.

Thor just smiled.

"In his mind, he may have been trying to save Avery. Maybe to prove to himself he could do something selfless. I've saved Avery for him. It was only right," he said.

Tony nodded.

"Do you think perhaps, if we treat him and Avery with respect, and they show us respect, do you think that they would join us?" he asked.

Thor smiled warmly.

"The Avengers? As a team? No," he said.

Tony physically did not seem disappointed, but he felt so on the inside.

"I guess I knew the answer before I asked the question," he said.

Thor laughed.

"Loki works best on his own. In control of his own actions. However, that doesn't mean he would not call himself an ally," he replied.

Tony raised his eyebrows.

"You think so?" he asked the God of Thunder.

Thor nodded.

"'Cause, I've seen the power that guy has. He almost snapped my neck in half," Tony said animatedly, making the man relaxing on the sectional laugh, "But, and I may be horribly wrong, but I really would like to get him on our side."

"Keep him away from S.H.I.E.L.D., too. They'll kill him," Dr. Banner said.

Tony's eyes widened and he held a finger up.

"I was about to get to them," he said.

"Can't go killing the guy we need. They won't listen to reason," Banner continued.

Thor frowned.

"You will not be using my brother as a pawn," he said.

"No! No, no, no!" Tony replied, "I just…I have this idea, okay? Don't judge."

Thor smiled.

"I hold no judgement against you, Stark," he said.

"Thank-you," Tony replied.

"I have a feeling I trust Loki more than I trust S.H.I.E.L.D. right now," Banner said his eyes on his laptop screen.

Thor furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"I agree," Tony said, "I was…doing some _research_, and I found some stuff that's pretty disturbing."

"Makes you wonder whose side they're on," Banner said.

"Not our's after they find out Loki's here," Tony said.

A thundering from above their heads alerted the Avengers.

"Sir," JARVIS spoke, his voice coming from everywhere, "S.H.I.E.L.D. have arrived."

Tony picked up a remote control and turned on the television, which was displaying feed from the tower's cameras. On it, he could see Director Nick Fury, as well as several agents, including Agent Maria Hill, his second in command, armed and ready to defend as they exited their helicopter.

"Thank-you, JARVIS," Tony said.

Loki appeared in the doorway of the stairs, looking determined as he glanced up at the ceiling, listening to the helicopter wind down.

"Brother!" Thor exclaimed.

He jumped from his seat and quickly approached the younger god.

"How is she?" he asked as softly and caring as he could, careful to pay attention to his tone so he would not set his brother off.

"She's better, Thor," Loki said, sounding tired.

"You being in here might not be the best idea right now," Tony said, quickly approaching the brothers.

Loki narrowed his eyes at the billionaire in confusion.

"Why?" he asked, his voice not holding any kind of irritation to Tony's surprise.

"If S.H.I.E.L.D. sees you, all hell will break loose," Dr. Banner spoke up.

"Too late."

The four men jumped and turned to see a livid Director Fury with his gun raised, pointed right at Loki.

"Mind putting your hands up?" Fury asked venomously.

Thor and Tony backed away from Loki. Loki smiled at the director and turned to fully face him.

"Mind giving me a reason?" he asked, his voice teasing.

"Loki!" Thor hissed.

"I don't have time for your shit!" Fury barked, "Get your damn hands up before I blast your head off!"

A hissing sound from Loki's side made Tony jump.

"Yeah, um, no, Nick! Bad call," he warned.

"Stark! Do not tell me what a bad call is!" Fury shouted.

Tony bit his lip. Red smoke shot out of the ground before a whirlwind of fire swirled beside Loki. To the shock of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Loki was not phased by the fire so close to him. He just smirked.

***

I spun out of the fire and took a defensive stance in front of Loki. Fury looked like he had shit himself. I smiled wickedly. I held my hands up, feeling a tingling heat as I focused on the guns pointed at Loki and I.

"Don't touch," I said.

The agents let out small cries as their weapons burned their hands. All of them dropped their guns, which melted to a puddle of metal on the floor. I let out a chuckle so evil, it scared me. Fury looked at me with his one eye, pissed.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Angry girlfriend," Stark muttered.

Loki snorted.

"Avery Dupont. Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts. I left there and became immortal in 1692 when the Witch Trials took place. I live on Asgard and if you even think about shooting either of us, I will kill you," I threatened.

Loki chuckled lowly. Fury snarled.

"You think this is fucking funny?" he snapped at Loki.

"I do," he said confidently.

I felt him put his arm around my waist protectively.

"Shooting me will do you no good if you want to keep your planet safe from demons," Loki said darkly.

I glanced up at Loki. He was gritting his teeth and burning a hole through Fury with his eyes. The sheer power in his voice gave me the chills.

"I knew you were behind it!" Fury said.

"Do you not listen?" I hissed.

Fury was making a move to come after Loki when I spoke. He then stopped in his tracks.

"Fucking humans," I griped.

"Avery," Loki scolded, then turned back to Fury, "Director, your planet is under threat of demonic invasion. The swarm today, I believe, were mere minions to someone else's elaborate plan. Portals are being opened all over the Nine Realms, and we believe this is their means of entering. I am merely here to help. We know of these creatures. To kill us will gain you nothing."

Fury stared at us. It was then that the remaining Avengers ran in, all three armed and ready to kill us. Stark sidled up beside me.

"Can you fly?" he whispered, "I mean, I know it's a stereotype, but—"

"I can," I replied.

"Can Loki?" he asked.

"Not yet, but I can carry him," I whispered.

"Good, because we may need to make a run for it," he said.

I nodded.

"Be that as it may, you are under arrest," Fury said to Loki.

"I'll give you a cue," Tony whispered.

I nodded.

"Oh please!" Loki laughed, "What are my charges?"

"How about the murder of three convicted felons in the Los Angeles area?" Fury tried.

I shuddered. When the hell did that happen?

"I was doing your world a charity," Loki replied smoothly.

"You killed three men in a warehouse! Did you not think we would find out?" Fury shouted.

"Why were they even alive to begin with?" Loki roared, "Those men were scum! They kept Avery locked up for a year and committed unspeakable acts!"

"Hey! Just because—"

Loki lurched for Fury, but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"One was raping a woman right in alleyway. Whether she was a prostitute or not is irrelevant. I saved her, and maybe more."

"They did find three women dead in a bathroom in that warehouse," a female agent beside Fury spoke.

Loki grinned.

"I fail to see where I'm at fault," he said.

"Ha! Maybe you will behind bars, then," Fury said.

I felt Tony tap me, and Dr. Banner walked by with his laptop in tow.

"That's debatable," Loki argued.

I turned to Loki and took his chin my fingers.

"Loki, darling," I said.

He reluctantly pulled his attention from Fury to me.

"Deploy," I heard Tony say.

Mjolnir flew out of nowhere, sailing over the agents heads.

"I'm sure," Tony said, "He would love to go with you, but we have to save the world from an inevitable apocalypse."

Tony's suit flew to him. Thor began swinging Mjolnir.

"Hold on to me," I ordered.

Loki looked confused.

"Stark, don't you—"

Fury was cut off by Tony blasting out the far window as his helmet closed. I took Loki's jacket in my fists.

"Miss Dupont, what do you think you're doing?" Fury snapped.

Smoke was beginning to billow from my feet. I just let out a wicked laugh, then soared off with Loki, following Stark and Thor out the window, the four of us becoming criminals on the run within five seconds.


	12. The Grimiore and the Prisons

**Asgard  
2007 A.D.**

Noon time in the sort of "suburban" area of Asgard was no different than to the noon lunch rush on Midgard. Salesmen were trying to get you to buy their goods on your way to lunch, food carts were crowded with workers trying to grab a quick bite, and the morning market was trying to get the last of its produce sold before closing for the day. The streets were crowded with loud people on foot and on horseback. At this particular time, on this particular street, people were shoulder to shoulder. Mothers were trying to control their tired and hungry toddlers, too young to join other Asgardian children in school. Everyone was trying to get where they needed to be, and the inevitable irritated man or woman would shove another. I've seen them shove children down before. Thor, Loki, and I had a talk with the man, who was very rude to us. He was before Odin before he could say more. I remembered Loki leaning down to pick the child up. She was little. Just starting out in life.  
Loki picked the little girl up from the dirt and balanced her on his hip. I took a handkerchief out of my bag to wipe her dirty face while Thor argued with the man who had knocked her down. We had seen it coming. He even looked at the poor girl before shoving her head in a manner that if one had not been paying attention, it would have appeared as an accident. I wanted to hex him.

"Shh, you're alright," I said calmly.

She was so cute. Little brown curls, big brown eyes, and pudgy features. She was just a toddler, with maybe a year or two worth of walking under her belt. I was not sure if the aging process was the same for Asgardian children, seeing as Loki was 1,044 years old and barely looked 20, but this girl looked to be at least three years old by Midgardian standards.

"Where's your mother?" Loki asked her kindly.

The girl whimpered, staring at Loki with big, round eyes.

"How dare you speak to the Prince of Asgard with that tone!" Thor boomed.

The little girl jumped and started crying again. Loki gritted his teeth and shook his head. I lightly pulled on Loki's sleeve and led him and the girl over to a storefront, out of the way of the traffic and where Thor's loud voice was muffled.

"He's just obnoxious," Loki assured the girl, whom I'm sure had no idea what that meant.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

She sniffed, his little nose bright pink from crying.

"Embla," she replied in a small voice.

Loki smiled at her.

"What's your mother's name?" he asked.

"Mommy," she replied.

Loki and I collectively sighed. She was too young to know.

"I'm sure she's looking for you, Embla," I said, "My name is Avery. This is Prince Loki."

Embla chewed her knuckles.

"We'll find her. Don't fret, little one," Loki said softly.

That made her smile.

"Ave, is she hurt anywhere? She hit the ground hard," he said.

I moved around Loki to check. Embla lifted her left arm and looked at her elbow.

"Owie," she said.

I gently took her chubby arm in my hands. Her elbow was scraped and bleeding.

"That is an owie, but it's not bad," I said to her, even though it looked terrible, "Loki, her elbow is banged up pretty bad."

"Here," he said.

He carried Embla to the window sill and set her upon in. He then kneeled before her.

"Can I see it?" he asked kindly.

Embla whimpered and held her elbow up, sucking the opposite hand's fingers. Loki cringed.

"Could you bend it for me? Stretch your arm out and bend it back?" he asked.

Embla stretched her arm. As it fully straightened, she whimpered, the folds of her elbow rolling into the scrape.

"Okay, nothing's broken," Loki confirmed, "Embla, can you hold your elbow up to me? Like a bird's wing?"

He demonstrated what he wanted her to do, holding his fist to his chest and his elbow up in the air. She mocked him and he smiled.

"Very good," he praised her, "I'll make that go away for you. It won't hurt. Just hold still."

Embla whimpered and pulled her elbow away. I'm sure her healers had also told her that lie.

"It really won't hurt, child. I promise. I can use magic to make it go away," he said.

Her eyes lit up at that.

"May I try?" he asked.

She eagerly nodded and thrust elbow back in the air. I laughed at her. Loki cupped his large hands around her tiny elbow. She watched on with wonder as soft white light streamed between Loki's fingers. He then let go, revealing a fully healed elbow.

"Does that feel better?" he asked.

Embla bent her arm back and forth, then giggled.

"Fank-ooo," she said.

Loki grinned.

"You're welcome," he replied.

From the crowd, I could hear a woman's voice shouting.

"Embla! Embla, where are you?"

I turned and Loki glanced over his shoulder.

"Mommy!" Embla squealed.

"I'll go catch her," I said.

Loki nodded and picked Embla back up. I walked forward and waved my hand in the air, catching the frantic mother's attention.

"She's over here!" I called.

The woman quickly rushed over, dodging carts and hurrying people to reach her child. When she saw who was holding her child, her eyes nearly bugged out of her sockets.

"Majesty," she said and immediately curtsied, then bowed her head to me, "My Lady."

I bowed my head to her.

"My Prince, I am so sorry. I hope she didn't cause you any trouble," the woman said as Loki handed Embla back to her.

"There was no trouble at all, my lady," he assured her.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief, pushing her daughter's hair out of her face.

"Is she okay?" she asked.

Loki smiled and nodded.

"She's perfectly alright," he assured her, "We saw her lost and scared and pulled her out of the crowd before something terrible could happen."

"Oh, thank-you, Your Majesty. How can I repay you?" she asked.

Loki waved her off.

"No need, my Lady," he said.

The woman's eyes widened.

"Oh, but there must be something," she insisted.

Loki shook his head.

"Well, thank-you very much for rescuing her," she said.

"You're very welcome. We must be on our way. Take care," Loki said, taking my arm.

The woman bowed to us.

"Thank-you, Your Majesty," she said, then turned and disappeared in the crowd with Embla.

When she was out of sight, I looked up at Loki.

"Why didn't you tell her about her daughter's elbow?" I asked.

Loki looked down at me with a smile.

"I find that sometimes, ignorance is bliss," he said.

I nodded in agreement. He had healed Embla without her mother's consent, and an overprotective mother, no matter how grateful she should be, would inevitably criticize Loki and throw a fit. I knew he was probably right.

"True," I said, then looked back up at him, "You were so kind to her."

Loki smiled down at me.

"Can I not be kind?" he asked.

I laughed.

"I would think you not overly fond of children," I said.

Loki's eyes lit with mischief.

"I do not mind children. You would not either if you were the brother of Thor," he joked.

I laughed and hooked my arm with his.

"I suppose that would lengthen your patience. Where do you think he went?"

"I can only imagine. Come, Avery. Let's try to find him before he kills that man," he said.

Loki moved forward, and I fell into step with him.

"Well, if he hasn't, I will!"

Neither of us saw Embla, or her mother again, but every time I followed Loki down the busy market streets, I was always reminded of that day. Today was no different, and Loki held my hand tightly so I would not drown in the sea of people.

"This place better be worth it!" I hissed.

Loki grinned a grin I knew could only mean trouble.

"It is, Ave. Come quickly."

Loki towed me down an alleyway and to a row of shops completely void of the noontime crowd. The shops were mismatched, and in need of serious cosmetic work. I looked around me as Loki walked ahead.

"Why do you bring me to these shady places?" I asked.

Loki smirked.

"I've brought you to worse," he pointed out.

I stopped dead and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Maybe that wasn't the most appropriate thing to say," he said.

I smiled and shook my head.

"But have I ever let something happen to you?" he asked.

I glanced up at him.

"No, dear Loki," I replied, a shit-eating grin on my face.

Loki fought back a smile.

"And I do not intend to today, Ave. I have something to show you. Now, come with me," he said.

I sighed in defeat and followed him. Loki led me up the street. Most shops were left abandoned, but one on the corner stood out, and very much alive with business. The shop was massive, standing two-stories high. It was a salmon pink in color, and the inside was lit with lamps. A man was holding the door open for a couple, who seemed happy with themselves as they toted several books under their arms.

"I found this little gem about a week ago," Loki spoke up, "I've read all I've cared to read in Father's library. I know you've been yearning to expand on your sorcery, so I thought we may try to see what we can find."

I glanced up at him.

"Lead the way," I said.

Loki smiled and escorted me up the steps and held the door open for me. I walked inside and looked around, immediately delighted by what I saw. Books. Books packed on shelves. Books stacked in odd places. Books everywhere, and every single one held potential. The clerk bowed, and I looked over my shoulder to see Loki enter behind me. I took a deep breath, smelling musty ink and paper. Hello, paradise.

***

"Do you see anything?" I asked.

Loki was high on a ladder, dragging a slender finger across the spines on the books on the highest shelves. I clutched his chosen books to my chest, biting my lip and bouncing anxiously.

"You must be joking," Loki suddenly spoke.

I tilted my head to the side.

"What?" I asked.

Loki hooked his finger onto a rather ancient looking novel and opened it to the title page with a flick of his wrist.

"_Lord of Asgard: A Look Into the Life and Times of King Bor_," he read.

I burst out laughing, then immediately slapped a hand over my mouth, remembering my manners.

"I'm buying this," Loki announced.

"Like you don't know anything about your grandfather," I said sarcastically.

Loki ignored me.

"I've never even heard of this author," he said, "I wonder if Father knows about this."

Loki tucked the book under his arms and climbed back down the ladder, jumping from the second to last rung and strolling over to me.

"Let me take those, Ave," he said.

Loki placed the book of Bor on the top of the stack and I helped slip the stack into his arms.

"Got it?" I asked.

"Yes, thank-you," he grunted, shifting the books to balance them.

"I'm guessing you didn't find anything interesting for me up there?"

Loki shook his head.

"I thought this would be a good place to look for something unique, but even I am having trouble finding anything on magic and sorcery," he said, "Let's try the next aisle."

I nodded and followed behind him. We were deep in the bowels of the shop, in a dark, quiet, secluded area that looked like it had remained untouched for years. Boxes were filled with books. Shelves were messily kept and so packed with books, they overflowed and had been stacked high up to the ceiling. It was like book purgatory.

"We could live in here for days and not make a dent," I said.

As I spoke, a loud thump on the old wood floor caused Loki and I both to jump. I cursed and turned around.

"Be careful, Ave. Watch where you're walking," Loki scolded.

"I didn't touch anything!" I squeaked out, not meaning for my voice to crack.

I leaned down to see a massive book, thick as Thor's arm and as big as Loki's ego sitting in the floor, as if it wanted to be found. It was leather bound, and had it not been ornately decorated with Norse runes, I would have put it on a shelf.  
I leaned down and picked it up. The cover was blanketed in dust, so I swiped my hand over it and tried to read the title. However, it was in a language I couldn't understand.

"What is it?" Loki asked, his voice coming from near the back of my head.

I looked up to see him looming over my shoulder.

"I'm not sure. Can you read that?" I asked.

Loki set his books down and took the giant book off of my hands.

"Let's see," he said thoughtfully.

As he deciphered the text, his eyes widened and a sly smile appeared on his lips.

"Would you believe me if I told you this was a grimoire?" he asked.

I narrowed my eyes.

"A what?" I asked.

"It's like what you call a Book of Shadows. It's essentially the same thing, just written by someone else. A textbook, if you will," he explained.

My eyes widened.

"You mean after hours of searching, a random book of magic comes flying out of no where?" I exclaimed, frustrated.

Loki smiled.

"It would seem so," he said, then looked down and read the rest of the title, "_Grimoire for the Sorcerers of Night_."

He opened the grimoire and began flipping the pages.

"There are some interesting things in here, Ave. Some complicated, it would seem. Not to say that is a bad thing," he said.

I watched him as he delved deeper within the book. Every so often, his eyebrows would knit together, and every time, it worried me.

"Most of this is quite helpful magic, Ave, but there are some things in here much too dark and evil to conjure. Mother would never let you try any of it. I'm sure this one is illegal."

Loki pointed at something, but for his height, I could not peer over the pages to see.

"Would it help me expand my skills, or is it a waste of my time?" I asked.

"Oh, of course not. This is a very detailed book. Very old and beautiful magic," he said, his eyes and tone full of wonder, "The only issue is, this isn't in a language you can read."

I felt my heart sink.

"Put it back, then," I said, downtrodden.

Loki snapped the book closed and stared at me, greenish-blue eyes piercing right through me.

"Avery, I can translate this for you with little effort," he said.

I felt my spirits lift a little.

"Really?" I asked, "Loki, you don't have to—"

"It will take me an hour at the most. Then, you can read it and learn from it," he said.

I gave him a small smile. Loki returned it and stroked my hair.

"I'll buy it for you," he insisted.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he shushed me.

"Find a few more books and then I will pay and we'll be on our way," he said.

"Loki, I have money."

He just smiled at me, but said nothing. I rolled my eyes, but was very grateful for the act of kindness, nonetheless.  
I did not find much that interested me after finding the grimoire, but I was perfectly fine with it. Loki paid the clerk at the front for our finds before we left to make our way back to the palace.

"After I translate this, mind which spells you use, Ave," he said.

I smiled at him.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything too extravagant," I assured him.

Loki smiled.

"That remains to be seen," he replied.

I laughed and hooked arm with his, walking quickly to keep up with his long strides as we walked back to the palace.

For the remainder of the afternoon, I worked with the grimoire, noting herbs and other tools I would need for certain spells and potions while I read over Loki's immaculate translations. I was not sure what he did, but it seemed as if he had used multiple spells and charms on the book to make it not only readable for me, but also to repair damage and typos. I would have to find a way to thank him, for this was the most interesting, delicate, and advanced magic I had ever had the pleasure of practicing. I decided that perhaps I would find a simple spell or enchantment, practice it, then demonstrate it for Loki that night. Something simple and harmless. When I found the perfect enchantment, I set to work.  
That night, I searched the palace for Loki. It was nearing dinner time, and smells from the palace kitchens were drifting throughout the corridors, making my stomach growl. I wanted to hurry and show Loki what I had been up to, then quickly make it to dinner before arriving late and inevitably angering King Odin.  
As I searched the corridors, I heard Thor's voice ahead of me, laughing at something. Then, I heard Loki's sharp tongue counter whatever tease Thor had thrown at him. I smiled to myself.

"You may regret speaking to me like that one day," Loki warned him.

Thor just laughed.

"And when that day comes, I will apologize," he said.

I heard Loki snort. Their footsteps came closer. I moved within the columns, concealing myself in a pale, golden curtain as I watched the brothers walk by.

"You're hopeless," Loki said to Thor.

"Aye, but at least I can take a joke," he teased.

Loki stopped. Thor took a moment to notice Loki had stopped walking, but when he did, he turned and looked on at him worriedly.

"Brother?" he asked.

Loki just smiled at him.

"Go on ahead. Find the others. I'll be along shortly," he replied.

Thor bowed his head in understanding and turned to leave. Loki stood still, watching Thor until his footsteps could barely be heard.

"Must you creep?" Loki asked out loud.

I bit my lip. Crap!

I walked forward, emerging from the columns. Loki looked over at me and smiled a knowing smile.

"I wasn't eavesdropping, if that's what you think," I said.

Loki turned to me and approached.

"You know better than to think you can sneak around me without being caught," he said.

I smirked.

"I was actually coming to find you. I saw you and Thor in conversation and decided to be polite and wait," I said.

Loki smiled.

"I would have welcomed the interruption. Sweet relief from an argument with the densest of people," he said.

I laughed.

"I'll try to remember that next time," I said.

Loki just smiled. His eyes were lit with mischief, and he took a moment before he spoke. I found it slightly awkward, but that melted away when he opened his mouth.

"What were you going to talk to me about?" he asked.

I suddenly remembered the reason for hunting him down. My eyes widened and I took his hand.

"There's something I need to show you!" I said excitedly.

Loki grinned.

"Oh, you do?" he asked playfully.

"I do," I replied.

Loki laughed.

"Lead the way," he said.

And so I did, leading Loki out of the palace and out to the royal pastures where the horses grazed during the day. I lead Loki up a gradual hill and to the tree line.

"I've been practicing enchantments out of that grimoire you purchased for me, and I want to show you my first conjure that I have learned," I said.

Loki seemed intrigued.

"It's not a dark enchantment, is it?" he asked warily.

I smiled at him.

"Far from it. Let me show you," I said.

I lead him to a rather large bush covered in buds that had closed for the day.

"Inside the grimoire was an enchantment that I'm not sure has much purpose, other than for visual pleasure, but I thought I would give it a try," I spoke.

Loki watched on curiously as I placed my hands over the plant, remembering my errors from practicing on other plants and mentally noting what I should do. I had been successful in my passed three attempts, and had felt confident, but now with Loki watching over my demonstration, I felt nervous. Loki was far more skilled than I was at magic, and I'm sure he would see the flaws in my work. It really was inevitable, but I wanted to prove myself to the master of magic.

"Wait for it," I said softly, looking up at the sky.

The Asgardian sky was partly cloudy tonight. However, the moon was bright, and I had to wait for the right moment, when the full light of the moon beamed down on the pasture once again. Loki stood patiently. I could feel his eyes on me. I took a deep breath and focused hard on keeping my hands steady as I watched the night sky. A dark cloud that had traveled in front of the moon was fading away, covered white light steadily growing in intensity. Finally, after nearly 15 seconds of waiting, the moon was exposed. I thought the spell in my head, then channeled the moon's energy through me and focused on the bush.  
Suddenly, one by one, the buds popped open, almost happily. As if they wanted to see their good friend, the moon. Each flower was large, each roughly the length of my hand and width of the span of my fingers stretched to their limits. They turned to face the moon, where they would loyally follow it until it disappeared, then close with the rays of the sun.

"Avery, that's beautiful," Loki breathed out.

I put my hands down and turned to smile at him. His eyes were locked on the flowers in awe.

"It's just an enchantment to convert the plant to feed off of the moon's energy, versus the sun's. Moon lilies," I explained.

Loki walked over to the bush and gently cupped his head under a flower, a small smile on his lips.

"Truly beautiful," he said.

I watched as his slender fingers wrapped around the stem.

"Loki, don't—"

Loki pulled, popped the flower from the bush. I sighed.

"—pick it."

Loki smiled at me and waved his hand over the bush, a replacement stem growing quickly, budding, and flowering. I smiled and shook my head. Loki returned it and leaned down to smell the lily. Shock washed over his face. Oh, please don't let them have a foul odor!

"These smell absolutely wonderful!"

I sighed in relief.

"I hoped they would," I said.

Loki's eyes flickered up to me. His smile grew slowly as he walked up to me. He then bowed and gave me the lily. I smiled and took the offered flower. I felt heat rush to my cheeks, so I hid my face by burying my nose in the flower.

"Oh, that does smell good," I said.

Loki chuckled.

"I can't wait to see what else you learn from that book," he said.

I shyly glanced up at him.

"Perhaps you can teach me how to do that trick?" he asked, gesturing to the bush.

I cracked a smile.

"Sure," I replied.

Loki returned the smile and hooked his arm with mine.

"Walk with me, Ave," he said.

I obeyed and fell into step with him as we slowly walked back to the palace.

"You know, Mother's birthday ball is tomorrow night," he said.

I nodded.

"Yes, I've heard," I said.

"Will you be attending? Father said you were invited last year, but you never showed," he said.

I laughed.

"Do you not remember? I was sick with a fever and doomed to bed rest," I said.

Loki smiled.

"Oh yes. I remember. You brewed a potion that did not hold the desired effect," he teased.

"I've never brewed another since," I said.

Loki laughed.

"Well, seeing as you're not sick now, has anyone asked if they could escort you?" he asked.

I watched Loki's face, trying to read him. Why did he want to know?

"Um, not yet. I think I may go on my own. I haven't decided," I replied, then smiled wryly at him, "Why? Would you like to escort me?"

Loki had a wild look in his eyes that I knew I should fear. His eyes always gave him away when his smile failed to do so.

"As a matter of fact, I would," Loki said in mock offense.

I grinned at him.

"Oh, is that so?" I teased.

"I think I would be a better escort than Fandral. I hate the way he looks at you," he said bitterly.

I stopped walked and took my arm back, putting my hands on my hips.

"Now, Loki, that's not fair. Fandral has been nothing but kind to me," I said.

"Avery, he cycles through women like Thor swipes through beasts," he said pointedly.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I knew well of how he is. _You_, my dear Loki, just want me to dance with you alone," I said.

I almost wanted to say he was jealous, but that word did not sit well with him.

Loki gave me this smoldering stare that made my voice catch in my throat.

"Would that be so terrible, Ave? Dancing with me?" he asked.

I was taken aback by his question. He meant to sound teasing, but I detected a hint of hurt in his words. I knew, though Loki was not be any means unattractive, that Thor was the focus of the maidens at balls. Loki had the pleasure of dancing with a select few, but he did not charm them like Thor did. I wondered if he thought he was unwanted. Not desirable enough as his older brother was. I knew Loki was graceful on his feet, and undoubtably a skillful dancer. I imagined dancing with Loki would be wonderful.  
I let my hands fall to my sides.

"Of course not," I said bluntly.

Loki's eyes lit up, a boyish smile appeared on his face.

"Then, would you go with me?" he asked.

I stared at him, feeling cornered by my own fears. Being escorted to a ball by one of the princes of Asgard was a huge honor that any maiden should feel privileged by, but only the richest and most highly regarded maidens were allowed to share a dance with Thor or Loki. I was merely a guest of the palace.

"Loki, this is one of the biggest events of the year in Asgard," I said.

"I'm aware of that, Avery," he said lowly.

I ignored him.

"What would people think if they saw you dancing with me and not the daughters of noblemen?" I asked.

Loki's face fell.

"Avery, I don't give a damn what others think. Why do you ask such things?" he asked.

I looked down at the lily he picked for me, not being able to meet his gaze. Loki's hand appeared in my vision. His fingers moved under my chin, tilted my head up. He watched me with worried eyes.

"Do you think yourself unworthy?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"Unworthy to dance with you? No. Unworthy to dance with you at something so special and celebrated? Absolutely. I have no place there," I said.

Loki's hand held my shoulder.

"Avery, you are my nearest and dearest friend. You always have a place with me," he said.

I gave him a shy smile.

"Thank-you," I whispered.

Loki returned the smiled and lightly kissed my forehead.

"So, would you go to the ball with me tomorrow night?" he asked.

I smiled, unable to contain it.

"Of course, Loki," I replied.

Loki grinned and took my arm again, resuming our walk to the palace. My spirits picked back up as I twirled the lily around, and I had to break the tension somehow.

"I think you just want to see me in a gown," I said jokingly.

Loki laughed.

"Please!"

"That's it. This is your elaborate plan to see me in a gown," I argued.

Loki rolled his eyes.

"I suppose I've been caught," he said sarcastically.

I laughed at him, but did not fail to notice him hold my arm a little tighter. Curiously, I didn't mind it.

Queen Frigga's birthday ball was the most extravagant event I had ever attended, and I had this preconceived notion that everyone would be stiff and uptight, and the whole of the ball would be uncomfortable, but it was far from it. Every one was lively, the music was gorgeous, and everything was beautiful. Everyone looked elegant—unreal, even. Every woman in the throne room, no matter what age, was breathtaking, every man handsome, and every warrior and guard regal. Even the servants were dressed in their best. The only one uncomfortable was me.  
Loki knew I was nervous the moment I stepped up to him. He and Thor were to take their dates to dance after the King and Queen danced first, followed by the warriors, and then the rest of the ball attendees. I got strange looks when I walked up to Loki, and he took my hand and bowed, dressed in his freshly polished armor. He defied the custom waltz and simply slow danced with me. No one seemed to care, for their eyes were on Thor and Sif. He made me feel comfortable, and I soon forgot where I was as I held Loki's hands. We shared friendly comments as he stepped across the ornate, golden floor, but during quiet moments, I felt truly welcome. Like I belonged at his side, and I knew what my heart felt.

***  
**Asgard  
Present Day**

Fandral stood at Volstagg's side on the throne, Volstagg nonchalantly stuffing himself on wine and a boar's leg so massive, Fandral knew it would take days if he attempted to devour it. Today was their day to be present at the throne while Hogun and Lady Sif dealt with local matters. Fandral had refused to sit in the seat of the throne. He may have been sharing the role of King with Volstagg and Hogun, but in his mind, it remained Loki's spot, and he was perfectly comfortable with standing. Volstagg, however, relished the throne, and would only get up for short breaks.

"Can you at least act like you're in a position of power?" Fandral hissed to his friend.

Volstagg looked up at him, bits of food in his beard and a mixture of juice and wine drenching his mustache. Fandral groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You look ridiculous," he muttered.

"Speaking of ridiculous!" Volstagg boomed, his cheeks full of meat, "What was that name Avery used to call you?"

Fandral bit his tongue and gritted his teeth, willing himself not to fight with Volstagg, who was taking pleasure in irritating him.

"Fanny," he said through his teeth.

Volstagg burst out laughing.

"She had Loki saying it, as well," he said darkly, "Why are we even discussing this? Stuff your face!"

"Oh ho ho! Is dear Fanny upset?" Voltstagg laughed.

"You're going to think upset!" Fandral hissed.

Volstagg laughed, and would have pressed on, had a guard not burst through the doors. Volstagg and Fandral looked up. The guard marched up to them, stabbed his staff against the floor and stiffly bowed.

"Sires, Hogun requests assistance in the prisons," he said.

Fandral nodded.

"Right," he said, then looked to Volstagg, "Do you have your bearings down?"

Volstagg waved him off.

"Of course! Of course! Go on," he said.

Fandral stepped down the stairs and fled out a side door, the guard flanking him.

In the dungeons, Hogun was pacing the stone floor while a prisoner inside of a cell cackled incessantly. Fandral curled his lip as he peered in.

"What troubles you, Hogun?" he asked.

Hogun looked up at his friend.

"She won't shut up!" he shouted.

Fandral had to use all of his energy not to laugh. Hogun was never one to get emotional, so this was new for Fandral. However, he felt sympathy for his friend, for the woman's maniacal laughter hurt his own ears. As if Volstagg had not given him a headache already!

"I can see your nerves are frayed, old friend," he said, putting a comforting hand on Hogun's shoulder, "Go relax awhile, maybe join Volstagg or search for Sif. I will take care of the prisoner. Go."

Hogun nodded his thanks and left quickly. Fandral turned to the window and began to stroll in front of it.

"What amuses you so?" he asked her, hoping to trick her into closing her mouth by using the power of his charm.

The woman rolled her head to look at him, her laughter fading to a grin.

"Why are you here, warrior?" she asked.

"To enforce orders. Were you not told to behave yourself?" he asked.

"Give me a reason to obey," she said, trying his patience.

Fandral eyed the woman angrily.

"I can do you one better, and give you two. One reason, is so that your sentence will not be lengthened, as you are do for trial with the King in a week's time. Secondly, for the time being The Warrior's Three and Lady Sif, I being part of the Three, have been appointed by the King in the position of ruling over Asgard until such time as he and Lady Avery return. Therefore, my word is as good as King Loki's and I can lengthen your punishment."

The woman cackled, making Fandral jump in surprise.

"Damn Loki," she said.

Fandral stared at her in anger.

"Pardon?" he asked.

She growled.

"I said 'Damn Loki!' Damn the King and all he stands for. Loki is no King, and neither are you, warrior! You work for the enemy! Him and his wicked little bitch!"

"ENOUGH!" Fandral roared, "You will not speak of Loki that way, nor will you Avery! You know not what you're saying, and for causing such grief, I will worsen your punishment. Guard!"

A prison guard jogged up to Fandral and bowed.

"See to it that this madwoman is muzzled. Sedate her if you must," he ordered.

"Of course, sire," he said.

Fandral bowed, then gave the woman a dark look before exiting the prisons. The guard turned away to fetch a muzzle, leaving the guard that summoned Fandral and followed him behind. The woman looked at him and grinned.

"Raslas," she spoke, "Is that you? My eyesight is poor in this form."

The guard bowed.

"It is me, my Lady," he said.

The woman laughed. The guard's form morphed into that of a six-foot tall, skeletal form with a glowing orange heart.

"Have you news of the invasion on Midgard. Have those humans paid for Zaish's murder? Has the planet been conquered?" the woman asked.

"My Lady, our forces were interrupted and defeated. Not a living body left, I'm afraid," Raslas replied.

The woman stood, her eyes glowing red.

"How in all of Niflheim did that happen? There were thousands of us!" she screeched.

"And now mere hundreds. It would seem that there is a force much smaller than us, and twice as powerful," he said.

"Who?" she snarled.

Raslas gritted his sharp, gray teeth.

"Magical beings," he said.

The woman's eyes glittered.

"Magical, you say? I was not aware of magical humans on Midgard. Raslas, have them captured! We need the power of magic in our world," she said enthusiastically.

"My Lady, they are not human," Raslas spoke.

"Then, what in bloody Hel are they?" she growled.

If Raslas could smirk, he would have.

"The King and his Witch," he replied.

"WHAT?" the woman screamed, "Loki?"

"The same, my Lady," Raslas replied.

The woman screamed and paced angrily.

"Loki, that puny shit! He must be more powerful than I thought," she said.

"His Witch is just as powerful," he said.

"Kill them!" the woman snapped, "No, even better. We need that sort of power. We need a magical core in our race. With Loki's power, we could be invincible!"

"My Lady, Loki does not possess a natural magical core. His sorcery is learned. However, Gorlith claimed he sensed one in the Witch," Raslas said.

The woman's eyes locked with Raslas' orange ones, stuck in an idea.

"Then this is what we shall do, Raslas. Capture the Witch. We will extract her core and murder her in front of her beloved King. Then, we shall murder Loki in front of all of Asgard. Toss his limp body in the dirt and take Asgard by force. Since Frigga, Loki was the last conjurer. We will be the only race with magic. Raslas, return to Niflheim. I will follow shortly. Let's restore our numbers and contact the Jotuns. We will take this damn Realm if it requires genocide of the Aesirs. Now go, Raslas."

"Yes, Lady Ancada," he said.

With that, Raslas morphed back into the form of the guard and left for Niflheim.

"Hel help this Realm," she said, a sick smile on her face.


	13. Let It Go

The flight from New York City to Los Angeles was a long and exhausting one. I had to use all of my strength to keep up with Stark, and holding Loki, who weighs a ton more than he would as a human, nearly killed me. When we landed in Stark's driveway, I had to let Loki go and tuck and roll, for I knew if I landed on my feet, I would have snapped my legs in half. Thor was already patiently waiting on the porch, sitting on the concrete steps nonchalantly swinging Mjolnir by its strap. Stark lowered himself gracefully to the ground, while Loki and I exploded away from each other. I used a spell on him to ensure he didn't hurt himself, then we both landed and rolled across the driveway like struck bowling pins. Smoke billowed everywhere.  
I cursed and pushed myself up onto all fours. Loki came to my side and took my arm, helping me to my feet.

"Are you okay, love?" he asked, deep concern written on his features.

I dusted myself off and nodded.

"Just tired," I replied.

Loki gave me a soft smile, then looked up to Stark.

"Quite a brilliant plan you had," he said jokingly.

Stark's face plate flew up, revealing a nervous billionaire.

"Yeah, I really don't know what made me do that. Probably not my best plan. I mean, you scare the shit out of me," Stark said.

Loki smiled and tried not to laugh.

"I mean, you really scare the shit out of me. I'm not going to lie. I don't know why I did that, 'cause now I'm sure we're wanted for assistance in a resisted arrest. We're all probably going to jail. However, you two are the only people that can save this planet. You're our only hope, and I'm scaring myself just saying that, but I just…I have this feeling that S.H.I.E.L.D. are up to something, and I trust you more than I trust them. You just have to trust me on this. I have a plan," Stark explained, "Banner is going to help us. He should arrive by this evening, and then we'll get out of here and form our next plan. Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. will think we're not stupid enough to come back here. Banner said he'd try and distract them, so we'll see if we get arrested here in the next few hours."

I crossed my arms over my chest and cut my eyes at Loki.

"Sounds like a better plan that your's," I said lowly.

It didn't register with Loki that I was speaking to him. I reached an arm out and shoved him. Loki stumbled sideways and stared at me, more worried than shocked. Up until this point, I had not betrayed my anger for Loki's sake, as I feared my yelling at him would somehow worsen the situation and he would have been handcuffed. I kept my cool, but now that we had a moment, I let hell break loose. I was pissed at him, and I think I had a right to be.

"What in the hell were you thinking, Loki?" I shouted, "Coming down to Earth and just picking off a few people and returning home like nothing happened? Did you think you wouldn't get caught?"

Loki looked conceited, and I wanted to slap that look right off of his face.

"It wasn't the plan," he said.

I growled in aggravation and began to pace around him like a predatory animal.

"Was this that night you stayed up all night?" I snapped.

I watched a flicker of guilt cross his eyes. I clenched my jaw and shook my head, ashamed of him. I turned my back on him and looked to Stark.

"May we go in?" I asked.

He nodded.

"I just ask that you please don't break anything. Recent build, you know?"

"I'll replace it if anything gets broken," I promised him.

I turned back around, glared at Loki, and pointed to the door.

"March," I ordered.

Loki watched me, trying to play innocent. My hand caught fire, the annoying scraping noise I had yet to work out echoed over the high walls of Stark's home and garage. Loki held his hands up in surrender and hung his head as he walked to the door. I followed closely behind.

"JARVIS, unlock the door, please," Stark spoke.

The door beeped and clicked. Loki reached for the handle and opened it for me. I felt my chest knot up as he did so. He was making it really hard for me to be mad at him. I looked to him before looking over at Stark and Thor.

"Stark, thank-you," I said.

He nodded his head. I turned back around and walked in, Loki following casually behind. I looked around the house. Inside was a mixture of modern and futuristic, but definitely smelled like a home. Like fabric, coffee, and the hint of a woman's perfume. It made me desperately want to return to my chambers in Asgard, like we weren't be hunted by S.H.I.E.L.D. and, presumably, a demon army.  
I turned down the nearest hallway, which was softly illuminated by a skylight. I walked down it a little ways before stopping and turning to Loki.

"You lied to me," I said in a dark, accusing tone.

Loki held a finger up.

"Technically, I didn't. I _was_ up all night," he said.

I snorted in disgust.

"How many innocent lives were ended?" I asked.

Loki looked horrified.

"Avery, I had only the best intentions," he said.

"You say that and then a bunch of innocent people get hurt."

Loki bared his teeth.

"I hurt none, Ave. I only killed three. The three men who hurt you—who scarred you."

I felt my eyes widen.

"I sought vengeance for you, love. The only lives that were taken were those deserving of a position in Hel. A man named Charlie."

I fought to suppress a shudder.

"Another named Lester, and a third named Vince," he listed.

At the sound of Vince's name, I cringed and fought back the bile rising in my throat.

"They know their deaths came by my hand," he said darkly.

I sighed and watched him for a moment. His face was calm, but his eyes were screaming out an apology. My shoulders dropped and my arms broke apart in defeat. I couldn't argue with him.

"Loki, you could have gotten yourself killed," I hissed.

He timidly approached me.

"I had control of the situation," he said.

I didn't reply. Loki took my shoulders and leaned down, his eyes connecting with mine, creating an impenetrable bond.

"I never meant to be caught, nor for us to be wanted criminals of Midgard. All I wanted was to make sure they got what they deserved. Please, Ave, don't be angry with me. Or Stark, for that matter," he said.

I swallowed hard.

"Please forgive me, darling," he said softly.

I had to look away from him. Damn him and that silver tongue!

"I do," I replied.

Loki perked up.

"The only thing I don't forgive you for is not bringing me with you to help kill them," I said.

Loki grinned. I reached up and hugged him.

"How did they die?" I asked.

Loki chuckled and kissed my shoulder.

"Violently," he said, the brutal word never sounding more beautiful.

I pulled back and Loki planted a soft kiss on my lips.

"I love you, Ave," he said.

I stroked his cheek.

"I love you, too, you little shit," I replied.

Loki laughed and yanked me into a hug, playfully lifting me off the floor, making me laugh.  
Down the hall, a door opened and Stark and Thor walked in.

"Guys, come to the shop when you're done," Stark said.

My laughter faded and I looked from them to Loki. He smiled at me and held his hand out. I took it and fell into step with him, following Stark and Thor to the shop.

***

In Stark's workshop, I sat with the men as we discussed the demons and the portals. We knew there was no way to close them without finding what controlled them first. We would have to wait until we discovered the person controlling the demons to find a way to close the portals. On top of the portals, we had to destroy the enemy, and on top of that, we had to remain hidden.

"Sir," a voice, one smooth with a pleasant British accent spoke.

I jumped, not expecting the disembodied voice.

"It's just JARVIS," Stark said to me, "What is it?"

"Sir, Pepper has arrived home. I was suggested preparing yourself. Your company may come as a shock."

Stark's eyes widened and he jumped up from his reclined position. Up above us, a door opened and a woman came clacking down the stairs in her black heels and business suit, strawberry blonde hair pinned up in a bun and a portfolio tucked under one arm.

"Tony, we need to talk. I just heard from—"

The woman stopped in her tracks at the base of the stairs, staring right at Thor, Loki and I with her mouth hanging open.

"JARV, you're a little late there," Stark quipped.

"I apologize, sir," JARVIS replied.

Pepper swiftly approached us.

"Pepper, I can explain—"

"Tony, no! This? What the hell, Tony? That's Loki, am I wrong?"

Stark casually clasped his hands behind his back and looked over at Loki, his bottom lip pushed out and his eyebrows.

"No, that's Loki," he said, all too calmly.

Pepper looked horrified. Loki shifted uncomfortably beside me.

"Get him out of here, Tony. What are you thinking?" she all but screamed, "This is the man who caused you so much stress. All of those anxiety attacks! Did all of that somehow slip your mind?"

Stark took a deep breath.

"No," he replied.

"Then what is he doing in our house? Have you lost your mind? Did Thor bring him here? Thor, I'll deal with you, and I don't know who the hell you are, but Loki, get out or I will shoot you right between your damn eyes!"

Loki didn't move.

"Hey! Do not threaten my brother like that!" Thor boomed.

Loki looked down at his boots. I linked my arm with his. I could sense his pain. It was understandable that she feel aggression towards Loki. I would call her crazy for not freaking out, but she saw him as a monster and insinuated so. It made it that much harder for me to convince him that he wasn't and that much easier for him to believe that he was. The opinion of one human should not matter, but the heart takes any beating it's offered.

"I brought him here," Stark said.

Pepper stared at Tony, tears of rage in her eyes.

"All three of them. And if it wasn't for Loki and Avery, I would not be standing here speaking with you, Pep. I'm assuming that you heard about what happened on the beach," he said.

"What happened on the beach? What beach? All I heard about was you being summoned to New York to be with The Avengers. I did not even think had left yet, if you were going to leave at all!"

"There was an attack by a swarm of demons from Niflheim. At least, that's where we believe they originate from," Thor spoke up.

Pepper's face held a mixture of outrage and confusion.

"What? What is Niflheim? Tony," she pleaded.

"Honey, listen to me. Remember what I told you about S.H.I.E.L.D.? How they're fixing to cause a big mess? Right?"

Pepper nodded.

"Okay, well, Loki kind of did a nice thing and it kind of backfired and S.H.I.E.L.D. found out and kind of wanted him dead but we need him to defeat these demons, right? Yeah, so I kind of maybe sort of possibly have a warrant out on myself. We all kind of helped him resist arrest."

Pepper gasped and smacked Stark hard on the shoulder.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she shrieked.

"The right thing," I spoke up.

Pepper looked over me.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Avery. Of Asgard. Witch. All that jazz. Listen, these demons are ruthless. They would have wiped out your planet had two sorcerers not had their hand in the battle today. Magic is their weakness. Mr. Stark—"

"Tony. Please, just Tony," Stark—Tony said.

"Tony, who I'm sure Thor has already discussed our portal problem," I began.

I started to walk forward, but I had failed to notice Loki was holding my hand, and had no intention of letting go.

"Loki, please," I said.

Loki looked down at me with sad eyes, then reluctantly let go. I looked back up at Pepper, who didn't look too thrilled that I was approaching her.

"Tony knows we won't get anywhere working with The Avengers. We have enemies coming at us from both sides," I said.

Tony nodded.

"We need Loki and Avery, and they wanted to kill Loki. We need his power and his help. I promise you he isn't here for anything sinister. What you saw on TV, okay, was not him. That was some funky alien magic I don't understand. He won't hurt you. He won't hurt us. He's here to help, but in order to help, we kind of have to run."

Pepper took a moment to absorb what was trying to be explained to her. She was silent for a moment before nodding.

"Let me go with you," she said.

"No, Pepper. God, no. I can't have you in danger like that. I did a potentially stupid thing. I'm sure I'm going to prison. But look, you stay here. Go to Happy's. Whatever you feel safest doing. Banner should be arriving soon, and afterwards we're getting out of here."

Pepper sighed.

"We'll keep Stark safe," Loki spoke up.

Pepper jumped, spooked by his voice. She had never heard him speak before.

"I can promise you that," he said.

Pepper breathlessly nodded.

"O-o-okay. Um, thank-you," she said, stumbling over her words.

Loki bowed his head.

"So, Avery, right?" she asked.

I nodded.

"You're a witch?" she asked.

I fought back a smile.

"Some would say the Wicked Witch of Asgard," I said, trying to mask my bitterness.

"Night Sorceress is the proper term for it," Loki said.

Pepper looked up at him. I spun around to stare at him. He just winked at me.

"A sorceress highly skilled in dark magic. Night magic. Magic of Niflheim. Workings with the dead. What you humans would call a Paranormal Sensitive," he said.

Pepper nodded slowly. I looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"Never thought about it that way," I said.

Loki chuckled.

"Okay, so you know these demon things?" she asked me.

I nodded.

"And Loki?" she asked.

"I do, too. Not as extensively, but I do have some knowledge of the beasts," he said.

Pepper nodded.

"Plus, Loki and Avery are skilled in the art of battle," Thor said.

"Oh, you should have seen them kick demon ass. Impressed the hell out of me," Tony said, trying to lighten the mood.

Pepper sighed.

"Okay. Fine. When is Dr. Banner arriving?" she asked.

Tony shrugged.

"Here in a few hours," he said.

Pepper nodded.

"Well, make sure you have everything. Might as well have dinner, too," she said.

"'Kay, babe," Tony said.

"I'm going to go have a shower," she announced, then turned to Loki and I, "Um, it was nice meeting you two, I think."

Loki and I bowed our heads respectively. With that, Pepper fled the shop to take her shower. Tony turned back to us.

"Okay. Loki, is there a spell you know of that can detect cameras? That's how S.H.I.E.L.D. found you the first time, and that's how they will find us," he said.

Loki narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not familiar with electronic technology. I'm aware of what a camera is, but I do not understand what you mean," he replied.

Tony returned to his office chair.

"I may be able to figure something out," he said, propping his feet up on the glass desk.

"I could short-circuit them," Thor offered.

Tony smiled.

"It would be too easy," Loki said, "If we short-circuit every camera in our path, it would create a pattern. We need to hide in plain sight. That's the key to staying well hidden."

"Unless you're being obvious," Tony pointed out, "Loki, you've tried that one before."

Loki's nostrils flared in aggravation.

"Facial recognition software would be the culprit. Even just your eye, and you're caught like that," Tony said, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

I felt like a lightbulb went off in my head.

"So, if Thor's hair was a different color, or your nose was slightly off, or Loki's eyes were a different color, we could slip under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar?" I asked.

Tony shrugged.

"We're going to need some kind of illusion. I heard you were the master of that, big fella," Tony said, gesturing to Loki.

"Essentially, we must give the illusion that we are civilians," Thor concluded.

Loki sniffed, trying not to laugh.

"Amazing. I believed you far too dense to piece that together, but yet, I was wrong," Loki teased.

"Quiet," Thor growled.

Loki smiled.

"But yes, Thor. That is the idea," he said .

Tony eyed Loki up and down.

"Can you even look human?" he asked, "I mean, no offense. Can you look…normal?"

I smacked Loki lightly on the chest, changing his armor to a simple black t-shirt and jeans and tennis shoes. Tony's eyebrows moved up mid-forehead, impressed.

"Well, it's a start," he said.

I looked up at Loki and grinned.

"Midgard oddly suits you, my dear," I teased.

Loki rolled his eyes.

"Avery, my pet, you will find I can pull off most looks," he said.

I burst out laughing.

"We'll see about that," I challenged.

Loki smirked. It was time to play dress-up with the God of Mischief.

***

"This just too funny," Tony said, "Can I _please_ take a picture."

"No!" Loki snapped.

We were Tony's living room, the smell of something cooking from the kitchen making us hungry, and with that hunger came irritation. Thor remained in good spirits, and Tony had been thoroughly amused, but Loki was far from happy.  
In order to trick S.H.I.E.L.D., we had been working on disguises. Loki had suggested using magic on all of us to make us look different to everyone but each other, but only he had that power, and that was a lot of energy he could not afford to waste. Magic to change our appearance to all of us seemed to be our only option.

"Make him red-headed," Tony teased.

Thor laughed.

"As red as Volstagg's beard," he added.

Loki snarled.

"I'd rather not," he said.

My hands had been in his hair, pulling it around his face and trying to figure something out that would not change him too much, for Loki loved Loki. Don't mess with the man's look.

"I'm not going to change the color," I said.

I ran my fingers through Loki's black hair. His hair was a mess, but it was gorgeous. It felt like man hair, of course. Thick. Full. However, it was extremely silky. Never a tangle, and running fingers through the curly ends was the best possible pleasure.

"I think she just likes playing with your hair, brother," Thor teased.

Loki rolled his eyes and glared up through his eyebrows at his older brother.

"Quiet, you oaf," he said.

Thor grinned. I looked up at Thor and cheekily nuzzled my face in Loki's hair. It even smelled fantastic! Thor laughed at me and shook my head.

"Has she turned you soft?" Thor teased.

Loki growled and tried to rip himself away from me.

"Thor, stop it. Loki, look at me," I ordered.

Loki obeyed without hesitation. I fired a spell at his hair, causing it to momentarily blow backwards. When it fell, it was now a completely different texture. Messy, frizzy, and lazily maintained. Completely unlike Loki. It looked a little wild. I shortened some of it, that layered look as I pulled some of it forward to cover his forehead. When I was satisfied, I waved my hand over his mouth, causing stubble to grow. Loki hissed when I did this. He hated having facial hair, but it was for his own good. His hair already changed his looks dramatically.  
I raised my hands.

"Close your eyes, darling," I said.

Loki's eyes fell closed. I lightly touched his eyelids. A light pink manifested around his eyes, giving him that dark, tired appearance. Loki always looked so alive and vibrant, so messing with his color and his complexion a little changed his appearance entirely.  
I removed my hands. Loki opened his eyes, his normally blue irises now a deep, dark hazel color. Prominently green, but a hint of brown around the pupils. I felt my heart drop seeing them. They were not his eyes, but I had to disguise his eyes somehow.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked.

I smiled and shook my head.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just going to miss those blue eyes," I said.

Loki smiled and leaned over to kiss me.

"It's still me, my darling," he reminded me.

"Yeah, you just look like shit now," Tony said, "No offense."

"That was the goal, Tony," I said, "They will expect him to change form completely, or they may think he's stupid enough to remain in his everyday form. Now he looks like the common civilian."

"He looks homeless," Tony popped off.

"No, he looks older," Thor said, "By a thousand years or so."

Loki rolled his eyes. I smiled at him. I couldn't disguise that one. That was a signature Loki reaction.  
I placed my hands on his cheeks.

"He looks more like a rockstar to me," I said lovingly, trying to make him feel better.

By the soft smile that appeared on his lips I would say I was successful.

Tony stood and gestured to Thor.

"Let's go see if Pepper needs any help," he said.

Thor nodded and stood, following Tony like a puppy. Loki and I watched after them until they were out of hearing range.

"How do you think I should disguise myself?" I asked, "I was thinking maybe this."

I ran my fingers through my hair and roughed it up until it became a short pixie cut, shaggy and messy to mirror Loki's hair style. That shaggy, rocker look.

"Maybe fire engine red," I said, turning my dark brown hair turning as red as blood, "Sharper nose."

I tapped my nose, which transformed to something a bit different. Loki viciously grabbed my face, making me squeak as he caught me by surprise. He disabled the charms I had placed on myself and glared at me. I couldn't read his expression. His eyes were wide, his jaw was set, and his forehead was slowly beginning to wrinkle as he narrowed his eyes at me. What had I done?

"I'll place an enchantment on you. Don't change your appearance," he said strictly.

I let my shoulders fall and I looked down.

"I had to go years without you—without seeing you," he said.

I watched him sadly. I knew what he meant.

"Okay," I said softly.

Loki tucked his fingers under my chin and lift my head, forcing me to look at him. He gave me a pained smile and stroked my cheek.

"I just want to see you as you, my love," he said.

I reached up and stroked his cheek, turning him back into the old Loki.

"Loki! Avery!"

Loki and I were broken from our trance and turning to see Tony in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Come eat before Thor gets it all," he said.

Loki and I exchanged glances before getting up and joining them.

***

"Loki, darling, please be still," I begged.

"I will not be still! This is ridiculous!" he argued.

I rolled my eyes. After dinner, Thor, Tony and Pepper, and Loki and I returned to the basement floor workshop so we could form a plan while we waited for Dr. Banner to arrive. Loki was going to perform illusion spells on us to disguise us, then perform a special one on Pepper to keep her safe as a thank-you to Tony for helping us escape arrest. At least, that's what he told Tony. I liked to think he was doing it to be kind, but I knew Loki could care less about the woman.  
While we waited for Banner, I sat Loki down and worked on my own enchantments, testing them on Loki to see what kind of disguises I could come up with. So far, they were fairly convincing. However, they were not easy when the person they were being placed on was grumpy. He didn't like his looks being manipulated unless he was in control of it, and I knew touching his hair was a big no-no, but he never made me stop.

"Shut up," I said, running my fingers through his jet black locks, trying to get his part right.

Loki obeyed, and sat there fuming until I was satisfied. When I was finished, Loki's hair, which was usually perfect and silky, was a not a frizzy mane, shorter, the tips falling to his shoulders, with fringe falling over his forehead and covering his right eye. I had turned his pale blue eyes hazel, added a touch of color around his eyes and to the apexes of his cheekbones, and grew stubble on his usually clean shaven face. I smiled at the finished product.

"What?" he asked, obviously not happy with me.

I grinned.

"You look like you belong in a mosh pit," I said.

He furrowed his eyebrows, his now hazel eyes holding a mixture of confusion and offense. I shook my head and stroked his cheek.

"It's part of a Midgardian concert's audience," I tried explain.

He slowly nodded, not quite understanding. I smiled at him.

"I feel…repulsive," he said, reaching a hand up to feel his hair.

I laughed and kissed his cheek.

"You look fine," I said, "I think I did a pretty good job, if I do say so."

Loki gave me a small smile and grabbed my wrists.

"My turn!" he said wickedly.

I tried to pull away from him.

"No! I'll turn you back!" I laughed.

"Do you not trust me, love?" he asked.

My eyes widened.

"In this situation, no!" I replied.

Loki laughed and pounced me. As soon as he had me pinned to the leather couch, the door up the stairs opened and Pepper came down the stairs with a man behind her. I recognized him as Dr. Banner, and my heart rate picked up, fearing whatever news he might have.

"Tony, I really insist I go with you guys," Pepper said.

"Miss Potts, I really don't think that's a good idea," Banner said.

Tony stood and walked over to them, followed by Thor. Loki scrambled off of me and offered his hand, helping me up to follow them. We gathered around Banner, impatiently waiting to hear what he had to say.

"What's the verdict? Are we in big trouble?" Tony asked.

Banner laughed a humorless chuckle.

"You could say that. I bought us some time, but we need to wait until we flee. Just stay low for now. Early tomorrow morning should be a safe time to leave. I know of a place we can hide until—"

Banner stopped when his eyes fell upon Loki. His face went from calm and collected to thoroughly and hopelessly confused.

"What happened to you?" he asked Loki.

Loki's eyes widened when he realized I had not removed the enchantments to change his appearance. I quickly touched him, turning him back into the old Loki.

"We were working with disguises," I said quickly.

Banner looked uneasy, but continued without question.

"As I was saying, I know of a place we can hide until we know of a plan," he finished.

We nodded.

"Okay, Loki said he can disguise us so we won't get caught. In the meantime, we need to find out where those demons came from."

We nodded again.

"Let's form a battle plan," said Thor.

With that, we gathered around Tony's desk, tapping into databases and public security cameras, searching for any signs of the origins of the demons.

***

_Loki woke up, his pupils quickly adjusting to the bright white light of his cell. He heard prisoners in an uproar, and when a guard appeared at his cell, he knew something was off. The guard watched him for a moment. Suddenly, the golden magic sealing him in faded, and the glass disappeared. Loki narrowed his eyes at the guard._

"The Dark Elves are closing in on the Queen. You are the only one that can save her and the mortal woman she is protecting," he said.

Loki didn't hesitate. He summoned his armor to his body and jumped out of his cell, running down the stone aisle and out the door. He ignored cries of fear and shouts from guards who had not been informed of his release as he bolted down corridor after corridor. He had a keen sense of magic, and could pick up on magical beings within several yards of his position. The only magical being in Asgard that he could sense without fault was Frigga, and he used this sense to track her down. When he picked up on her magical signature, he pumped his legs as hard as he could, and let no one get in his way as he flew up a set of stairs and down to a room at the end of the corridor. However, his path was blocked by a fleet of guards. They only had to look at him once before the charged him. Loki ran to an open window, knowing just beside it was the balcony to the room. We could swing in and save his mother.  
Loki dove out of the window and leapt over to the balcony. Inside was empty, save for a body laying in the floor. He didn't have to look at the face to know it was the body of his mother. Sensing no traps of any kind, Loki ran in and collapsed to his knees in the pool of his mother's life slowly seeping out of her. Loki reached shaky hands down and moved Frigga's head, cupping her cheeks in his hands.

"Mother, no," he whispered.

But it was so. The Queen, his mother, was gone. Loki let out an angry cry and gathered her body in his arms, sobbing loudly and not caring who heard or saw. He was too late. It was his fault. He could have saved her, but he was not fast enough.  
Loki held her and cried his heart out until he heard the sound of Odin's voice coming from down the hall. Loki quickly kissed Frigga's forehead.

"Rest peacefully, Mother," he whispered.

He carefully place the body back down and fled, teleporting himself to the countryside of Asgard, where he collapsed in a heap and screamed his fury and sorrow loud enough to cause earthquakes on Midgard. He cursed fate, Odin, and anyone else he could think of before succumbing to a shaky wreck in the grass.

"Loki, my son," a female voice spoke.

Loki sprung into the air like a spooked cat.

"Who is there? Who spoke?" he asked, seeing no one, "I demand you show yourself!"

"Loki," the voice spoke.

Loki's world immediately changed to a dark bedroom. City lights shown through the windows, and Loki suddenly remembered he was in Tony Stark's home in California. However, the misty figure resembling a woman in the corner had not been there when he went to bed.

"Mother?" he asked.

The figure stepped forward, becoming clear.

"I've always hated seeing my sweet child cry," she said in a soft voice—one Loki had gone too long without hearing.

He jumped out of bed and ran up to her.

"How is it you're standing before me?" he asked lowly, as to not wake the others.

"Death is not the end, my son. I am here in spirit form," she said.

Loki's eyes watered.

"It's really you?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded. Tears ran down Loki's cheeks.

"Mother, I'm so sorry for our last conversation. You are my mother. I failed to understand that then," he said.

Frigga smiled kindly, tears in her white and gray eyes as she stroked Loki's cheek. Static ran up Loki's cheek, causing him to momentarily go numb.

"I know, my dear," she whispered.

Loki sniffed as she removed her hand.

"I could have kept you safe," he whispered to her.

Frigga smiled sadly and shook her head.

"Loki, do not blame yourself for my death. It was my time. Things will fall into place now," she said.

Loki shook his head in disbelief.

"Mother, how can you say that when things are falling apart?" he asked.

"Fate has great things in store for you, my son. You live, yes?"

Loki nodded.

"You are king, and Thor is on your side, yes?"

He nodded again.

"And do not forget Avery. You follow your heart, sweet child. Fight for what you love. Your home, your family, the woman you love. Do not chase desires."

Loki swallowed.

"Of course, Mother," he said, "I will fight in honor of you as well."

Frigga smiled.

"I knew being King would put your life in perspective for you. You have made me proud, Loki," she said.

Loki smiled.

"Thank-you, Mother. I love you," he said.

A tear slid down Frigga's ghostly face.

"I love you, too, my darling."

Loki bit his lip, fighting to keep from losing his composure. Frigga smiled at him, before dissolving. Loki blinked and she was gone. It was then he let it go.


	14. Confrontations

That night, I spent several hours trying to fall asleep. The guest room I was placed in was just as bland as the room in the Avengers Tower. It wasn't home. It wasn't a smelly little farm house. It wasn't the ultra-plush bed in my chambers at the palace. It sure as hell wasn't comfortable. It was better than a floor, but it just made me homesick.  
I fell asleep some time around midnight, according to the annoying glaring digital clock on the nightstand. Several hours later, I was awoken by the sharp prickling feeling of energy running across my skin. It was a foreign feeling to my body, but not unlike anything I've ever felt before. It made the hair on my back stand on end, and my back felt like it had iced over. It was when I heard a piercing shriek from next door did I jump from my bed.

"Shit!" I hissed and tossed over my covers.

I shuffled to my bedroom door and fumbled for the doorknob before opening it and poking my head out to the lit hallway. At the same time, Thor appeared from his bedroom across the hall, armored up with Mjolnir at the ready. Tony came walking sleepily in with a terrified Pepper on his heels.

"What was that noise?" she asked, frightened.

"It sounded like a cat. Honey, do we have a cat?" Tony asked.

"No, Tony," Pepper replied, her tone a bit distraught, "Did you guys hear that?"

Thor and I nodded.

"What was it?" Tony asked with a yawn.

I slowly shuffled out of my room, wearing a pair of soft shorts and an old t-shirt in place of my armor. I knew there was nothing to be afraid of.

"It sounded like my brother," Thor said.

"It was," I groaned.

I gestured for Thor to follow me.

"Is he part cat?" Tony joked.

I crossed my arms as I walked over to Loki's door.

"No, he just makes that noise," I replied.

Thor appeared behind me, then cautiously, Tony and Pepper followed suit. As I reached for the doorknob, my skin prickled painfully.

"Tony, you say this is a recent build?" I whispered.

I looked to see the billionaire nod.

"No one died in this room?" I asked.

Now he was confused.

"Um, no. Why?" he asked.

"'Cause there's a spirit in here. Guys, stand back," I said quietly.

Thor, Tony and Pepper backed up. I turned back to the door and pulled the handle down. It didn't budge, so I cast a spell on it. The door clicked unlocked and I was able to enter.  
I poked my head and was instantly hit with paranormal energy. Loki was curled up tightly under his covers, making small cries and shaking. I felt Thor's massive hand lightly grasp my shoulder as he peered in. I watched sadly as Loki violently twisted over onto his back. His eyes were red, and his cheeks were wet from crying in his sleep. Whatever kind of dream he was having, it was causing him pure misery.  
I turned back to Thor, Tony and Pepper and waved them off.

"He's okay. You guys go back to bed. It's just a nightmare," I whispered.

I knew it wasn't. Whatever was causing him the nightmare was real, and its energy was incredibly strong. They nodded and went back to their rooms, Thor lingering worriedly. I knew he had probably been around Loki to save him and comfort him through many a nightmare as children, but this was different. I just smiled reassuringly at him before slipping into Loki's room and closing the door.  
The energy was beginning to fade, and I'm sure my entry had spooked whatever entity was in here. Loki settled, but the pain was still written on his features, and fresh tears were pouring down his cheeks. I raised my hands in the air, charging it with my magic.

"Be gone," I said quietly.

My skin calmed, and I could no longer feel the presence of whoever or whatever had visited Loki.  
I walked slowly towards the bed and sat on the very edge. It pained me to see Loki this way—so broken and haunted. If anything in life, he deserved a peaceful night's sleep. Hours to forget memories and restore himself. No matter what he had done, it was still not fair to be in such agony while unconscious. I was not certain whether it was physical, emotional, or perhaps a mixture of both, but it broke my heart to see him this way. I had never seen him at his peak of evil—this peak being his fight for the throne, and not what the Chitauri had set for him. I had never been around him while he was dark, scary, and unforgivable. I could see the aftermath now, but I still could see the man I knew before—the young Prince of Asgard, who loved his mother, somewhat respected others, and took care of those around him, whether friend or battle ally. I knew it was time for a change, at least, for him. Whether I was at his side at the end, dead or living, friend, lover, or foe, I was going to push him to the other side. There was a reason he was still living, and he had to find it, rather than live like this.  
I ran my hand over his forehead. His skin was damp with sweat, and his hair was strung everywhere.

"Sweetheart, wake up," I said softly.

I ran my fingers through his hair, smoothing out the tangles.

"Loki," I said, a little bit louder this time.

Loki gasped awake. His eyes wheeled around wildly before locking on to me. I smiled calmly and stroked his cheek.

"Ave?" he whispered.

I nodded. Loki bolted up and looked around the room. I assumed he was looking for the presence that had disturbed his sleep. When he saw nothing, a look of pure and utter heartbreak swept across his features, and he broke down and fell sideways into my arms, not unlike a small child falling into their mother's arms to cry their heart out. Loki did just that. I just held him tightly and kissed the top of his head.

"You're okay," I whispered.

Loki rolled onto his back. I moved sideways so he could lay in my lap while I wrapped my arms around his torso and buried my face into his hair. Loki clasped my hands in his and shook with a sob.

"What happened, sweetheart?" I asked.

Loki made an "iff" sound. He made a noise as if to speak, but he just shook his head and choked back a cry. I tightened my arms around him and gently rocked him.

"I could have saved her, Avery," he said.

It was then I knew what he was talking about. Frigga.

"I know I can't change the past, but I could have saved her. Instead, I turn on my family and take a dozen wrong turns that I am doomed to always remember."

Loki sniffed as tears poured freely. I cradled his head and kissed his hairline.

"How can you possibly love someone like me?" he asked.

I looked down to see his eyes staring up at me. Even in the low light, I could see his damp eyelashes, as well as how bloodshot is eyes were.

"A monster?" he whispered.

I sighed and stroked his cheek.

"Because you're not," I replied firmly.

Loki just winced and shook his head, casting his glance away from me.

"All of that suffering you had to go through with Thor and Odin, and all that hate you had to feel—sweetheart, that's over with. All that passion you put into that hate. Can that not be the same as love? I've known you for the better part of my life. You held so much love and passion for your family, your magic, and the world around you. Loki, you have such a high capacity for love. Just like Frigga, if not more. If you can be filled with rage, there must be something you love to defend with hatred. Mistakes do not make you a monster, my love. They make you, in the truest sense, _you_. As the Midgardians say, 'We make mistakes. It's what makes us human.' We are not perfect, whether human, or Aesir, or witch, or Jotun. A series of unfortunate events does not define us. It pushes us. We learn and grow from our mistakes. Have you not changed, Loki? Have you not learned?"

Loki was holding the arm I had clutched to his chest, absently stroking his thumb across my skin and his eyes locking on the window, gears of thought almost visibly turning behind his pupils.

"I have," he croaked, his voice hoarse from sobbing.

"And now look at where you are. I mean, right now we're not in the best spot, but look at you now. You are king of Asgard. You're alive and well. You have your brother by your side, allies with Sif and the Warrior's Three."

"And you, my darling," he added, then kissed my hand.

"Indeed, you do," I agreed, "These Realms need a strong king. Someone who has, basically, been there, done that. You understand?"

Loki nodded.

"Midgard may fear you. Jotunheim will always hate you, I'm sure. There will always be enemies, but you can gain their trust back. You can save this realm and the next, as well as protect Asgard, and maybe one day bring peace. I know you like to keep shit stirred up," I said.

Loki smiled at that.

"But I have faith in you. I believe you can help lead us out of any war—any problem—that we may face. I trust you, Loki. I know monsters, and you, my dear, are not one. That's why I love you. But you must know, even if we were fighting on the opposite side, my wicked side would not let me think twice about morals. Opposing force or not, I will always fight beside you and support you. I may have my doubts about some of your crazier ideas, but don't think I won't follow you."

Loki's eyes watered. He squeezed his eyelids closed, trying hard and failing to keep the tears in. I wiped them away. Loki raised up and softly kissed me.

"The amount of unshakable loyalty you possess amazes me," he said softly.

I smiled at him.

"I have always looked up to you, Loki," I said.

He returned the smile and shifted out of my arms, moving to sit on his knees and face me.

"And I you, my darling. And I promise to fight for you. Make up for the time wasted while I was being foolish and selfish."

"Killing people and getting caught is not a good start," I said, eyeing him accusingly.

Loki just smirked.

"I agree that it was not my finest moment, but I promise I will keep all of us from being captured or killed."

I nodded. Loki cupped my cheek and kissed me deeply. When the kiss, unfortunately, broke, he stared at me for a moment, millions of thoughts passing over his head.

"Stay with me tonight," he said, "I just…"

I pressed an index finger to his lips and smiled at him. He didn't have to ask me twice.

***

It was a large room. The ceiling soared high above its occupants' heads, the dim light giving way to such darkness that it was impossible to judge the ceiling's location. It was also a round room, with on visible door, no windows, and really no visible purpose. There were six accent lights, all of which installed in the floor for light to beam up the walls. Three were on one side of the door, and three more on the opposite. They were bright, but did nothing to penetrate the blackness above. In the center of the room, or what could be guessed as the center, was a silver metal table and a matching set of chairs. Standing in front of the table, hands clasped behind his back and head hung, was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, Nick Fury.  
A squeak came from the darkness on the far side of the room. Fury looked up to see nothing, but hear the sound of footsteps thumping against the polished concrete floor. He straightened his posture, trying to make himself look presentable and intimidating.

"Has he been completely disarmed?" a raspy voice asked.

Just then, two people, clothed head-to-toe in black, wearing special bulletproof padding and helmets that masked their faces appeared out of the blackness beyond the table and marched up to Fury.

"He has, sir," one replied.

A man with a full head of white hair, sharp features, and lanky arms and legs, dressed in a business suit, walked out of the blackness with a smirk on his face. Fury swallowed his nervousness down.

"Check him again," the man spoke.

One of the masked men grabbed Fury roughly. The Director bucked against him and tried to scramble away so he could smash a fist through the mask, but it was no use. The other man grabbed Fury and quickly frisked him, finding a small switchblade inside a boot. He confiscated it, tossing it onto the table with a clank. The man behind it laughed. The masked men shoved Fury away and marched back over to the man.

"I thought you were instructed to completely disarm at the checkpoint, Director," he said accusingly.

"Well, I like to stay prepared, Councilman. I missed one weapon. I carry at least 20 on me at a time," Fury snapped.

"Then you should have counted when you surrendered your weapons," the Councilman snapped back.

Fury gave the councilman a death glare with his good eye.

"I better get all of them back, too," he growled.

The councilman chuckled and reached a long finger to the table, scratching at the surface with a fingernail.

"Don't worry, Director. You will, for you will need them to capture the war criminal. Criminals, I guess I should say. Which reminds me why I summoned you here," he said.

The councilman looked up at Fury.

"Why isn't the Asgardian dead?" he asked bluntly.

"He slipped out of our grasp, Councilman," Fury replied.

"And how does that come to be, Director?" the councilman snapped, "He was an easy capture last time."

"This time he had help, but he has different plans this time. He didn't need help escaping now, and he didn't when he was here last. His plan was to get caught and lead his army to us," Fury explained.

"And now he has possessed two of your precious Avengers. Escaped right in front of you. His body is supposed to be in our custody, Director!"

"I have my forces searching for him. We are doing everything in our power to locate Loki and bring him down," Fury explained.

The councilman chuckled and started walking around the table.

"Director, I don't have time for excuses," he said.

The councilman snapped his fingers. The masked men ran over to Fury and shoved him up against a wall.

"It was not an excuse!" Fury barked.

The councilman smirked.

"Show Director Fury what we do to liars," he said to one of the men.

The man produced a blade and jammed it into Fury's left shoulder. The Director groaned loudly and closed his eyes tightly, fighting desperately through the pain. The masked man ripped the blade out of his shoulder, leaving a sizable tear through Fury's leather jacket, where beneath, blood began to spill.

"Director, this is your final chance," said the councilman, whom Fury was beginning to doubt was actually part of the World Council, "If you want to keep your Avengers Initiative, not to mention your job, you will find the criminals and you will bring the Asgardian to us. I want him dead, and intact. If you fail to do so…"

As if on cue, the masked men threw Fury to the ground and began to wail on him, beating him until he was battered, bleeding, and was positive he had a few broken ribs.

"…we will take no mercy," finished the councilman, "You may see yourself out."

The councilman and his men disappeared into the darkness, leaving Fury to catch his breath on the cold floor. Fury moved to all fours and spat out a glob of blood and a dislodged tooth. He had never like the World Council. In fact, he hated them with every fiber of his being. However, the deal had been done, and there was little he could do about his current situation. He had no problem with killing Loki, and even his girlfriend, but he trusted Stark. Something was going on. Why had Stark risked his life and freedom to save a war criminal and his girlfriend? Thor was in on it as well. He couldn't imagine what was going on, but he knew he had to find a way around sending two of his best Avengers to prison. He would be damned if he lost them.

***

It was barely five in the morning when JARVIS woke everyone up, announcing we had 30 minutes before we were at risk of being found. Everyone quickly packed up. Loki set his spells in place for everyone, including a protection spell on Pepper. The poor woman didn't like Tony leaving, and no matter how many reassurances he gave her, it wasn't enough to keep the tears at bay. If I were standing in her position, I suppose I would be upset, too.  
We huddled in front of the house in a state of confusion and disarray while Tony pulled up in one of his less suspicious and heavily tinted cars. He stepped out and addressed us briefly.

"We gotta get to an airport. Preferably a busy one. If any of us flies, we'll be caught. We have to take a plane," Tony announced.

"It would be safest to head out of the city," Banner said, "Las Vegas is only a few hours from here. We can catch a flight there."

Tony nodded.

"Are our disguises in place?" he asked Loki.

Loki nodded.

"Good. Bruce, where are we flying?" Tony asked.

Banner placed his bags in the trunk of Tony's car.

"I have a place we can hide in. Just outside of London," he replied.

Tony nodded. Loki moved to grasp Thor's massive arm.

"Brother, listen to me," he said quietly, "Go with them."

Thor and I looked at Loki, both of us seeming to share mutual confusion.

"Why? Are you not coming?" Thor asked.

"Just trust me," Loki replied.

Thor groaned, but reluctantly nodded.

"We will join you once our task is completed," Loki assured him, then turned to me, "Avery, do not move."

I looked at him and opened my mouth to speak. Loki pressed his hand to my forehead, and my world spun rapidly as I was yanked off of my feet. I tried to scream, but as soon as I tried, the breath was knocked out of me and I tumbled onto hard, sandy ground. I rolled in the sand and coughed. I rolled onto my side and opened my eyes. I was in the desert, there was no doubt about that. However, everything was rocking and I felt like I was going to pass out. The air rippled beside me and Loki appeared, looking as if he had just walked through a door.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked.

My own voice made my world spin. I groaned and pressed my hands to my eyes.

"Teleportation," he replied, "Are you alright, my darling?"

I rolled onto my back.

"Just dizzy. You could have warned me," I complained.

Loki kneeled beside me and stroked cold fingers across my forehead.

"I apologize, love, but we needed to make a quick escape. Here, let me help you," he said.

Loki offered a hand and I took it. He slipped an arm around me and helped me sit up. My vision steadied and my equilibrium reset. In the distance, still illuminated by streetlights, was a little town…if it could even be considered a town.

"Where are we?" I asked.

Loki looked out at the town.

"New Mexico," he replied.

I shuddered and snapped my head over to him.

"What business do we have here?" I hissed.

Loki looked at me with a look I knew meant trouble—a look I loved seeing on his face. His eyes darkened evilly and his smirk should have scared the ever living shit out of me, had I not known him.

"It's not business if you're having fun," he said.

I grinned at that. He smiled, showing his perfect teeth and stood. He offered his hand and I took it, standing and dusting my leather off.

"Follow me. Stay light on your toes," he said.

I nodded. Loki looked towards the town, then took off in a sprint. I followed behind him, managing somehow to keep up with his long strides. We ran to the closest building, which was almost completely made of glass, and ran to a solid wall near the trashcans. Loki almost instantly halted, while I slid up beside him. He looked at me, then pointed up. I nodded in understanding. With a leg up from him, I jumped up and gripped a ledge, then scrambled up onto the roof. Loki pounced effortlessly and rolled across the gravel roof, trying not to make a sound. He recovered quickly and waved me over. I followed closely behind as we lightly treaded across the roof. Loki led me to a skylight and crawled up to it. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled up beside him. He pressed an index finger to his lips, then pointed down through the window.  
Inside, I could see a woman scribbling away at a notepad, briefly glancing up in thought before scribbling more notes down. I found it odd that this woman was fully dressed and up so early in the morning. Loki reached an arm out and pushed me back. I scooted backwards and moved onto my knees, balancing on my heels.

"Who is she?" I whispered.

"Jane Foster. Thor's mortal," he replied.

I nodded.

"If anyone can help us with the portals, it's her, but she will not willingly help us. Remember, we are wanted criminals and we are not supposed to be in Midgard in the first place," he said.

I nodded again.

"I may have saved her life before, but she's a stupid mortal and she will more than likely call the police on us. However, she _will_ provide us with information, whether she gives it willingly or not. I have no compassion for her. She's the reason Mother is dead. I could blame Thor, but when it comes down to it, it's her fault for not helping the Queen. As far as I'm concerned, she is useless and does not deserve to live, but that's beyond my control. I cannot kill my brother's loved ones. I do not wish to harm her—"

"Oh, I do. After hearing that, I want to start a fight," I growled.

Loki held up a hand.

"Patience, love. If she refuses to help us, then we turn on her. Just do not kill her," he said.

I sighed.

"Can I at least turn her into a turtle or something?" I asked.

Loki smiled and gently held my chin within his fingers.

"I like the way you think, Ave, but not now," he said.

I nodded.

"So, what should I do if she causes trouble?" I asked.

Loki sighed.

"Things you may have to beg Thor for forgiveness for," he replied.

I groaned. Loki leaned over and pecked my lips.

"You can play with her a little if need calls for it. For now, let me handle this. When I signal for you, come down through the roof window," he replied.

"The skylight?" I asked.

Loki gritted his teeth.

"The skylight. I haven't the patience for Midgardian terminology. Whatever it's called, blast it out and corner the mortal," he said.

I smiled.

"Aye, aye, my King," I said.

Loki smirked, then sprinted across the roof and leapt over the edge. I cast an illusion over the building as a precaution, then looked back down through the skylight. I saw the Foster mortal look up and soundlessly gasp. Damn. I couldn't hear anything.  
I pressed my palms to the glass and with a wordless spell, loosened the bondings and gently lifted the glass out of the frame and set it aside.

"Loki," she said.

Loki appeared, strolling casually across the floor. He glanced up at me and gave a slight nod. I slipped through the hole in the ceiling and landed on my feet behind her. The Foster woman spun around and gasped. I just grinned at her. She was everything I expected out of Thor's love interests. Picture perfect and vulnerable. In my opinion, disposable.

"My brother has told you of Avery. Has he not?" Loki said, his voice strong as it echoed throughout the open room.

I shivered. Power—the energy of power—can become a quick addiction. Even experiencing it second hand, I wanted more.

"Um, yeah," she slowly replied, then spun back to Loki, whipping her hair as she did so, "Listen. You two really shouldn't be here."

"We will leave as soon as we get what we want," Loki said.

His eyes were terrifying. He was staring at Jane with wide eyes and a menacing smirk. He almost looked like a wolf locked on to his prey.  
The Foster woman straighten and held her head high. Quite the bold move on her part.

"And if I refuse?" she countered.

Loki narrowed his eyes at her. I snarled. How dare she speak so boldly to him!

"Just because you're messing around with Thor, you think you have an excuse to act like you are above us? That you can speak down to us like equals?" I hissed.

"Um, excuse me, but I am not 'messing around' with Thor. My relationship with him is none of your business!" she snapped.

I laughed.

"Oh, but it is," I replied, then looked around her to Loki, "May I?"

Loki smiled.

"Play nice."

I growled and grabbed the mortal woman flying with her across the room and slamming her into the nearest solid wall.

"What you have with Thor is nothing more than a fling, trust me. He has four thousand years to go, where as you maybe have fifty," I snapped.

"Oh! So you're jealous?" she asked, thinking her comeback was witty.

"Please! Sweetheart, I have the most powerful sorcerer in Asgard," I said, pointing a thumb behind me to Loki.

At that, she paled.

"But Thor is a dear friend of mine, and I care for his well-being. Nevertheless, I couldn't give a damn about you, and if I had my way, I would slay you here and now. However, I couldn't hurt Thor that way, so thank your lucky stars."

Tears welled up in the woman's eyes.

"Then, why are you trying to choke me?" she squeaked out.

"Because, you piss me off, for starters. I can't stand women like you. Pathetic. Weak. Helpless. Not strong enough to live without a man at your side. It's your weakness that ruined everything. It's your fault the Queen is dead, and if Loki would allow it, I wouldn't let you live to see another day," I threatened.

I let go of her neck and stomped back over to Loki. I could feel my anger getting out of hand. Rage was boiling through my veins, and I knew I would curse her at any moment. I had to step over to Loki and clear my thoughts.  
I walked back to Loki, my back facing the Foster woman. Loki reached a hand up and gently grasped the silver plate on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he murmured.

I nodded. He squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.

"There would be no need for threats, had you not been so quick to jump to conclusions," Loki said sharply, "I swear to you, we mean you no harm. That is, if you refuse to help us."

"What if I can't?" she asked.

I bared my teeth at her question. I clenched my fists tightly and fought myself to keep from thinking of the most brutal curses that would end in a satisfying show of blood and guts.

"I'm going to kill her, Loki," I whispered.

Loki gave my shoulder a tight squeeze.

"Steady, darling," he said, "Can't and won't are too different things. Nevertheless, the future of this planet and our lives hang in the balance of this information. Including Thor's."

Tacking on Thor. Nice touch, my dear Loki.

Jane Foster sighed and stepped forward.

"Fine. What information can I give you?" she asked.

At her cooperation, I turned around, feeling a little better.

"You may not be able to give us the information immediately, or at all, but we need you to use your…machinery to track the manifestations of portals," he said.

Jane narrowed her eyes.

"Portals?" she asked.

"Yes," Loki replied, "They are appearing all over the Nine Realms, permitting demons entrance from Niflheim. We just recently fought an attack on a beach in New York. It will only be a matter of time before they attack here again and infest Midgard, and soon Asgard if they find a way to breach my defenses. We need you to track the energy, find what it is made of, and report it to either us, Thor, or Tony Stark. Do not report it to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Oh, not in a million years," she said.

"So, will you help us?" I asked.

She looked at me and reluctantly nodded.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, I can try and see what I can do. Do not murder me if I can't come up with anything," she said.

"You have my word," Loki said, "Try as hard as you can. You are the only one we know who can help."

Jane nodded.

"Um, do you know where the portal is?" she asked.

Loki looked to me for the answer.

"In a the woods outside of Sacramento, California. Just south of the city on the outer edge. I forget the town's name. Had to move around a lot," I replied.

Jane nodded.

"I believe I can find it. How do I contact you if I find the information?" she asked.

Loki's eyes flashed over to a flatscreen television.

"Contact Stark. Or Miss Potts to contact him. No one else," he replied.

She nodded.

"If that's not possible, you will have to come find us. With your, what is it, television?" he asked.

Jane and I nodded.

"We may not be so hard to find," he said.

Jane seemed to understand.

"We were never here," he said.

Loki took my hand.

"Of course. I will get to work," she said.

Loki and I bowed our heads before leaving. Outside, the sun had appeared over the horizon, the day beginning.

"What if she spills to someone?" I whispered.

Loki stopped and turned to me. He moved my hair from my shoulders and cupped my jaw in his hands.

"Then you can have first call on what happens to her," he replied.

I smiled. Loki kissed me.

"Which way is London?" he asked.

"Northeast. Over the Atlantic," I replied.

Loki nodded.

"Brace yourself."

I obeyed, and Loki teleported me to a lonely, rainy alleyway in London. He soon appeared beside me. We could hear the distant cars and buses, but as far as the alleyway, we were alone.

"What now?" I asked.

Loki looked around.

"Let's go."


	15. Rot

**Avengers Tower**

"Have we been able to contact Director Fury?" Steve Rogers asked as he entered the morgue where Agents Barton and Romanoff were packing away the body of the demon.

"Not yet," Barton replied.

"Well, keep trying. We need to form a plan. If Loki is thinking about world domination again, I fear he has manipulated Stark and Thor," Rogers said.

"I really don't believe Stark was manipulated," Romanoff spoke.

The Captain looked at her, stunned.

"How would you know?" he snapped.

"I have worked with Stark, and his assistant, Miss Potts, prior to Loki's invasion of Earth. I know of his reckless tendencies. He pulls stunts like this for a reason," she said defensively.

"Fraternizing with the enemy?" Rogers blurted out.

"Cap, I know it's hard to swallow, but there has to be a reason. Loki could only manipulate me through the power of the Tesseract. I know its power, and I can tell you right now, that was not the power of the Tesseract influencing Stark. Not to mention Thor and Loki's…friend. His sidekick," Barton explained.

Romanoff nodded in agreement.

"I think we should trust them," she said.

Barton zipped the body bag and transferred it to the freezer.

"As crazy as this may sound, I agree with her," he grunted as he heaved the bag in and shut the metal door, pushing the handle in with a click.

"They did save us. We wouldn't have stood a chance," Romanoff said.

Rogers closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Loki is crazy!"

"But he is extremely powerful. And, it would seem as if the Avery woman is just as powerful, if not more," Barton said, "Maybe Stark is thinking of forming an alliance."

"Regardless, they resisted arrest of a war criminal," Rogers argued.

"Yes, Cap, we're aware of that. But Tony Stark, no matter how vain and immature he can be, we owe our lives to him. We have to give the guy the benefit of the doubt," Barton replied.

"We owe Loki as well," Romanoff said distantly.

Barton glanced at her.

"And Loki," he added.

Rogers groaned.

"Just…ugh! See if you guys can reach S.H.I.E.L.D.," he said.

At that, an alarm on a nearby laptop went off, alerting the three Avengers. Agent Romanoff dashed over to the laptop to read the windows that were popping up on screen.

"Loki and Avery have been located," she said.

"What?" Barton asked.

He and the Captain ran over to the laptop Romanoff was typing away at.

"They were last photographed at 6:20 a.m. in New Mexico by a streetlight camera. This is near the same place S.H.I.E.L.D. discovered that satellite crash that was later revealed to be Mjolnir. Thor's hammer," she said.

"What the hell are they doing in New Mexico?" Barton asked.

"No idea," she replied, "But they're definitely not with Thor or Stark."

Rogers groaned.

"That doesn't sound good. I bet Stark got himself killed for sure," he said.

His comment went ignored.

"Are there more pictures?" Barton asked, leaning over Romanoff's shoulder.

"No. They disappear after that, but there is no doubt that that's them," she replied.

Barton nodded.

"Then we must get down there and see if we can track them," Rogers said.

"I agree. Clint, go arrange for a jet. Cap, you better suit up," Romanoff said.

The men nodded. Agent Romanoff closed the laptop and followed them out of the morgue.

***  
**London, England**

The rain pelted down on Loki and I as we walked down the streets of a more shady area of London. It reminded me of the dumpy neighborhood I had lived in while I was stuck in Los Angeles. Run-down buildings, broken windows, trash littering the streets. It was a hole, that much was certain. I was thankful we were disguised, blending in with the scary people and the homeless that travelled the sidewalks.

"'Ello, lovely!"

Loki and I stopped. Just not disguised enough.

"How's about you come with me, eh? I can show you a better time than with that bloke. What do ya say?"

I growled. Loki set his jaw and turned around.

"Would you like to die?" he threatened.

"Hey, mate! We can share if ya like. I'm game," he said.

I turned to look at the man. There was no doubt he was a drunkard. Greasy haired, round spectacles, one eye glossy with blindness. Raggedy clothes. I narrowed my eyes at him. My mood suddenly soured. Why was it that everywhere I went, even with Loki at my side, I was the focal point of some horny man's desires?  
The man grabbed his crotch through his baggy jeans.

"Come get it, love!" he shouted, then cackled with laughter.

Loki flashed gold, causing my disguise to flash off. Whether it was by accident or not was uncertain, but we were now exposed.

"Avery, you are forgiven for the preceding action," Loki said.

I nodded and flew over to the man, fire in my palms. A look of sheer terror flashed across his face. He tried to run, but it was in vain. I pounced him and slammed him against the ground. With razor sharp, talon-like fingernails, I gauged his eyes out.

"You think women are toys, huh? Meat? Objects? Let me tell you something, you piece of shit. Your life is over. Know that your death came by Loki, King of Asgard. And while he kills you, may your tongue swell, your throat close, and your blood boil."

The man, who was already screaming from having his eyes gauged out, screamed like a girl as his blood boiled and his skin began to melt. I removed myself from him and slung the eyeballs from my fingernails before shrinking them. Loki, who had summoned Gungnir, held the staff to the man's head. Then, he flipped it to the spear side and drove it through the man's face. Steam and boiling hot blood spewed everywhere. As morbid as it was, I couldn't help but snort as I tried not to laugh.  
Loki looked up from his handiwork and smiled at my amusement.

"That wicked little laugh of your's," he said.

I smirked.

"Why is it," he paused to yank Gungnir out of the man's skull, "That you and my brother gain so much pleasure from killing?"

"Thor's a man, Loki. It's a testosterone thing. For me, it's not only an adrenaline rush, but I think hanging out with you has warped my fragile little mind," I teased.

Loki concealed Gungnir and rushed me, grabbing my shoulders and forcefully kissing me. I flew us against the wall, slamming Loki up it and taking his face in my hands. I then detached my lips from his to catch my breath.

"What is with you?" I asked, "Get a kick out of that?"

I pointed to the mutilated body on the ground, which I magicked away before the police could come. Loki cupped my jaw with his hands and smiled warmly.

"It's just so relieving to see you back to power," he replied, "Not to mention having you by my side again."

I smiled widely. That's the only place I ever wanted to be, and I would never leave his side willingly.  
Loki took my chin and kissed me again, this time more gentle, but still driven with a fierce passion. As if it was instinctive, I wound my arms around his neck, not caring if we were in a grungy neighborhood in London, and definitely not caring about who saw. The kiss broke and Loki pulled me tighter to him, trying to squeeze us both under the overhang of the building and out of the pouring rain. He closed his eyes and dipped his head to touch his forehead to mine. He mumbled a spell under his breath, and I felt heat spread through my insides and loving, protective energy fill my senses.

"I love you, Ave," he murmured.

I ran my fingers through his wet hair and lightly pecked his nose.

"I love you, too, Loki," I replied.

Loki smiled, but just as quickly as his lips curved upwards, they immediately moved down and he shuddered. I didn't have time to react as he jolted straight up, his eyes wide as he rapidly looked up and down the street.

"What? What is it?" I asked worriedly.

Loki narrowed his eyes and a sly smile crept up on his face.

"I know where they are," he said.

He quickly restored our disguises and took my hand.

"Come quickly," he ordered.

With that, we ran back out into the rain and down the streets of London to the countryside.

***

I walked behind Loki up a dirt road that had turned to mud during the rainstorm. It was dusk. I was tired, wet, and completely famished. I think I could eat as much as Volstagg at this point in time.  
Loki seemed to notice my lagging behind, and he stopped to let me catch up with him. He smiled at me as I took his hand.

"Tired so soon, Ave?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes. A low rumble came from his torso, and he clutched his stomach through his armor. I watched him curiously. He meekly smiled.

"I guess I've become spoiled to the easy access of food on Asgard. I had trained myself to go for days without eating," he replied.

I gave Loki a sad smile. I would not bring it up, for I knew it upset him, but I wondered what kind of hell he had to go through in the Seven Circles to survive. I had gone through a similar issue when I was held captive in Los Angeles, but against Loki's situation, mine paled in comparison.

"It's good to be the king," I joked.

Loki smiled and looked around.

"Maybe we can kill something," he said, looking around at the fields and the treeline.

"Maybe we'll find Thor, Tony, and Banner before we are forced to dress a rodent," I said, trying to think positively.

Loki shook his head and rubbed his hungry stomach.

"I'm not sure I can wait that long, Ave," he said.

I took his arm and perched my chin on a bicep bracer. Loki looked down at me.

"Patience, love. In a few hours, if we haven't had anything to eat, we can hunt."

Loki gave me a soft smile and took a lock of my hair between his fingers.

"You're right, love," he said, then looked up the road, "I feel we are close to our destination anyway."

I nodded. Loki took my hand and led me up the hill. Once we reached the top, a small white and brown farmhouse appeared in the distance. Smoke was coming from its chimney, and a black car sat in front of it. Loki shivered.

"There they are," he said.

I tilted my head to the side and squinted at the house. We had walked for miles and had not seen a single farmhouse. Nor had we seen any vehicles or heard voices. This just seemed suspicious.

"How do you know?" I asked, "That could be anyone's car."

Loki chuckled.

"I can sense my own magic, darling. They're still wearing their disguises. Besides, I can hear Thor's obnoxious voice," he replied.

I tilted my head and turned to the wind, which, as Loki said, carried Thor's booming voice. Loki laughed to himself.

"Come, Ave. The quicker we get inside, the quicker we can rest and receive some sustenance," he said.

I shrugged and quickly followed him as we jogged to the house.

Loki had been spot on about Tony, Dr. Banner, and Thor being here. We found them inside, still disguised. Loki removed the spells from all of us, revealing our true forms, a sleepy Tony Stark, aggravated Dr. Banner, and a livid Thor.

"I've smelled worse things in battles in Muspelheim," Thor griped.

"Thor, it's an airplane," Banner said, rubbing his temples as he sat down in a chair, "When you have been stuck in one for ten hours, people tend to smell."

"I didn't think it was so bad," Tony spoke up.

"I do not understand how you could sleep in those conditions! I am never doing that again. That was the most uncomfortable experience," Thor raged on.

"What? You don't think someone like _me_ wasn't uncomfortable? A ticking time bomb in a metal tube?" Banner snapped.

Thor was about to argue back when Loki and I shyly slipped into the living room.

"So," I sang.

Loki grinned wickedly.

"How was your flight?" he asked teasingly.

Tony, Thor, and Banner's heads snapped up.

"Where have you two been?" Thor shouted.

Loki growled. I quickly grabbed his arm before a fight could ensue.

"I'll handle it," I whispered.

Loki grunted. I walked over to Thor and took his hand.

"Come here, Thor. Sit for a minute," I said.

Thor allowed me to lead him to a chair and he roughly seated himself. I moved behind him and took him by the shoulders. I muttered a spell in which I had used a million times on Loki when he was stressed and angry. Thor unwound himself and relaxed in the chair.

"When did you guys get here?" Tony asked as he slapped a magazine in his lap.

"We've been in the country for the majority of the day," Loki replied.

Tony reached for his glass of alcohol on the side table and took a sip.

"That would explain why you two are drenched," he observed.

Loki nodded.

"Was your side trip successful?" Thor asked.

Loki gave me a quick mischievous smile. I winked at him.

"We shall see. In the meantime, Avery and I will go change and begin putting illusions around the house," he said.

Thor nodded.

"When you guys are finished, come back in here so we can get started on tracing these portals," Tony said.

Loki bowed his head. I patted Thor's shoulder.

"Feel better?" I asked.

"I do. Thank-you, Avery," he replied.

I smiled at him before leaving and following Loki up the stairs. The house was small and cramped, contained four bedrooms, fortunately, but unfortunately only had one bathroom.

"I guess we just pick a bedroom?" I asked.

We peered into the bedroom, finding Thor's armor in one, and suitcases in another.

"I guess it's safe to assume Stark and Banner are bunking together," Loki said.

I laughed and walked down the hall to the last two bedrooms.

"Which one do you want, Loki?" I asked, "The yellow or the blue?"

"You can choose, darling. The color of the bedroom doesn't concern me," he replied.

I smiled at him.

"Fine. You get blue," I replied.

Loki chuckled and shook his head. I slipped into my chosen bedroom and began to unload my pockets. Little cubes of wood and tiny pieces of cloth turned into full sized items. Clothing, necessities, witch tools, among other things. I loosened my armor and set to work.  
Once dressed in a pair of black jeans, a black V-neck t-shirt, and a hooded cardigan, I opened my door and walked down the hall to grab a towel from the bathroom and dry my hair. I absently rubbed my head with my chosen towel as I walked back into my room. I popped open my wooden witches' box with one hand and fumbled around for some incense to cleanse the room. Loki soon appeared in my door wearing a black tunic and a pair of dark green pants. His feet were bare, his hair dry and tamed, and the protective bracelet I had given him was still around his wrist.  
Loki crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his right shoulder casually against the door frame. I smiled at him. He gave me a weak smile in return.

"You look tired, my dear," he observed.

I shrugged as I cleaned off my bed.

"It's been a long day," I replied.

Loki sighed and nodded in agreement. I pulled my small, steel cauldron from its compartment and dumped my cleansing mixture in, then with a small spark from my finger, lit it and gently blew on it until it began to smoke. I then set it on the night stand by the bed and walked over to Loki. His eyes were cast down at the wooden floor. He looked tired and troubled. I sensed that more than his hunger was bothering him.

"Loki?" I asked.

Loki's eyes quickly flashed up to me, his thoughts diminishing in his eyes. I was certain then that something was troubling him. His eyebrows were relaxed and his deep frown set the stage for concern. I reached up and stroked his cheek.

"Loki, what's wrong?"

He watched me for a moment before looking away.

"You are a wanted criminal," he said.

I narrowed my eyed. Um, yeah?

"I'm aware," I replied slowly.

Loki attempted to laugh, but the act did not fully manifest before his eyes reconnected with mine.

"Because of my foolish actions," he said bitterly, "You were right, Ave. I don't think."

I rolled my eyes and groaned.

"Loki-"

"I would have kicked my ass by now!" he snapped.

"I would have pulled the same stupid shit for you! Had I not been so scared of you, I would have come after you," I snapped back.

Loki didn't respond, but thankfully, he didn't look away from me, either.

"I have been entirely too selfish with you. I keep digging a bigger hole," he argued.

"At least you're man enough to admit it. You can still grasp your morals—distinguish between right and wrong," I growled out, "I am the pure definition of selfish. Loki, I could care less about this Realm—these mortals. I do what I need to do to keep what is mine. You, Thor, Asgard, my own life. I don't care what it costs or who dies or…anything. My morals are blurred. I can't distinguish between good and evil anymore."

"But you can distinguish between right and wrong," he said, "Avery, you have every right to be selfish about what you love. I mean, in the end, is it really selfishness, or is it passion?"

I crossed my arms and looked away from him, letting his words sink in.

"Selfishness is endangering the people you are passionate about," he finished, "You have not return for more than a few days and I've already gotten you in trouble."

I fought the smile threatening to appear on my face.

"Wouldn't be the first time," I said.

Loki set his jaw, his own smile slowly making its way upon his lips. I took his arms and broke them apart. Loki's fingers wrapped around my hands.

"We'll be okay, Loki. I know you're trying desperately to make amends, but these worlds are not so forgiving. We can't stay wholly good or wholly evil, Loki. We don't have a choice. We are about to go to war with an unholy race of creatures. As far as I'm concerned, there are no rules. As for our crimes on Midgard, who cares? We're Asgardians. Loki, you are King. You basically run the universe. They cannot control us. Three low-life, scumbags humans got what they deserved, and in the end, you probably saved more than one life. You did this planet a charity in the wake one disaster you were forced in to. Soon, they will be thanking us. As far as Fury goes, he should be kneeling before you. I could care less if they want to throw us in prison. It means nothing to me. All I care about is taking these demons out and keeping everything and everyone safe. We can't play fairly anymore."

Loki cracked a smile.

"Oh, but we're good at cheating," he said huskily.  
I laughed.

"Indeed we are, my sweet Loki," I replied, taking his chin within my fingertips.

I craned my neck, trying become level with his face.

"Be assured that they will regret the day they threatened you," I said dangerously.

Loki grinned. I took his face in my hands as his lips crashed against mine. Below us, Thor's voice rang out.

"Brother! Avery!"

I reluctantly parted from Loki.

"Our presence is needed," I said, disappointed.

Loki chuckled.

"It is. Come. While we walk down, you can explain to me what you plan on doing to that infuriating Director," he said.

I laughed and linked my arm with his.

"My pleasure."

***

I sat with Loki on the loveseat, while Thor set in a chair next to us and Dr. Banner typed away at his laptop on the other side. Tony was pacing, tapping a pen against his bottom lip in thought while Banner spoke.

"It seems to be giving off its own electromagnetic field," he said.

I had given Banner the coordinates to the portal near my old home, and after a few scans with a couple of programs, he was able to get a reading on the portal.

"So, a wormhole, essentially?" Tony asked.

Banner shook his head.

"I would say it was, but the characteristics are different. This seems to come and go. Likes it builds energy and then loses it again."

Intrigued, I stood up and walked behind Banner's chair to see his data over his shoulder.

"I can pinpoint readings, but I can't see where the portal is exactly," he said.

"It's invisible," I said.

Banner looked over his shoulder to me.

"Really?" he asked.

"It can't be seen with the naked eye," Loki said.

I shook my head in agreement.

"But you can feel it, though. It's ice cold right there," I added.

Banner shuddered.

"Really? That would explain these strange readings. Look at this," he said.

He clicked off of one screen and switched it to a thermal view. Most spots were orange and yellow, and some spots had tiny patches of purple where the ground stayed cool, but it the patch where the portal was located, it was dark blue and black.

"The temperature readings are ridiculous. I thought that this software was malfunctioning, but I've had temperatures in the teens and twenties. Fahrenheit. It's steadily dropping and the EMF reading are becoming higher. However, they're no where near as high as what one would see with a wormhole."

Tony sidled up beside me as Banner pulled of the electromagnetic view again.

"Look. It's strange. It seems to cycle through number. 6.5. 6.7. 7! That's a new one. Then…there! Back down to about 6.4, 6.5 mG. It's climbing, but this is no where near as strong as a wormhole. Not in the slightest."

"A wormhole would suck Earth in on itself, though," Tony said.

"Not necessarily," Thor spoke up, "Loki went through a small one on Svartalfheim during our last battle."

Loki nodded.

"It had about the same power as a cyclone here on Earth," Thor went on.

Tony raised his eyebrows.

"Hmm," he hummed thoughtfully.

"But this is no wormhole. It's almost like a gateway. But it's weak. Something would have to literally pull you through time and space to another planet, and this is much too weak. You would die instantaneously."

The cogs of my gears of thought started to mesh together and turn. Freezing temperatures, low EMF readings, and a force somehow strong enough to teleport you?  
I shivered and goosebumps littered my skin. Loki looked up at me in alarm.

"Ave?" he asked.

Thor's eyes locked onto me worriedly. Suddenly, everything clicked.

"What if they're not portals?" I asked.

The men in the room all looked at me strangely.

"I mean, they are, but what if something has placed, like, stations all over the Nine Realms, devising some sort of trap, maybe?"

My words went unprocessed. If Loki, as smart as he was, stared at me blankly.

"Okay, look," I said, "Low EMF readings, yet it's strong enough to yank someone to another planet. Another dimension. Another plane of existence. It cycles through strength. It's freezing cold. And what's more, demons are coming through them, using them as means of travel because they can't use the Bifrost. They aren't magical, so they can't be using magic to teleport themselves. The only person in the Nine Realms that can do that is Loki. That's why these demons need a portal in the first place. Demons are not intelligent. They're drones. They work for a higher force. They've been told to hunt and create bridges to find what they need, whatever it is. So, they would use power that they know. They're from Nilfheim, which is like an Underworld. It's the land of the dead. The only energy source is that of spirit energy. They're using ghosts, essentially."

Loki looked down, his eyes lighting up as he pieced my words together. I could see Thor's excitement in his eyes.

"There's no such thing," Banner said, "Ghosts?"

"I believe in ghosts," Tony said.

"Spiritual energy like this is weak. It comes and goes, as ghosts do. They do what they want. They appear when conditions are correct. They live on a different plane of existence, and if we let them, they can take us with them."

Loki swiftly stood and summoned the laptop out of Banner's hands. Banner stared at Loki in shock as he walked off with the laptop, his long fingers gracing over the trackpad and his eyes locked on the screen in deep concentration.

"Hey!" Banner exclaimed and scrambled to his feet.

"Calm yourself," Loki growled, "Stark, do you have a device to project this information and display it in front of us?"

Tony looked confused.

"Um, yeah. Of course," he replied slowly.

"Then hack this," Loki ordered.

Tony's jaw went slack. Loki smirked and his eyes were lit with mischief.

"You're looking at a being of higher intelligence, Stark. It only took me and hour to figure out how the devices in your workshop functioned. Even that infuriating JARVIS program. Now," Loki snapped his fingers, "do as I say."

Tony quickly reached into his back pocket. I walked over to Loki and looked see he had several windows pulled up on top of the tracking program, all of which cycling through codes.

"I didn't know you knew anything about computers," I said softly.

Loki smiled.

"This isn't my first trip to Earth, you know," he replied.

I laughed and watched him work, briefly wondering if he could hack into any computer on the planet, if given the chance.

"Interactive interface?" Tony asked. Loki.

Loki nodded. Tony pressed a few buttons on his transparent device, and the map on the laptop was projection across the living room. Thor and I stared with our mouths hanging open. Loki's eyes locked on to something, and he slowly handed the laptop back to Banner.

"Don't touch anything," Loki warned him, "Ave, come here."

I followed Loki into the projection, walking through small trees to the portal. Loki placed his fingers around it, then pulled them apart, making the area bigger and easy to see. The zoomed in portion looked cylindrical, and inside, it was swirling with energy. Loki gave it a satisfactory grin.

"Avery, look closely. What do you see there?" he asked.

I squinted and moved closer to the portal. Inside, the energy was shaped in the form of figures. Humanoid figures.

"Spirits," I whispered, "Holy shit! These portals are made of ghosts! I told you guys!"

Loki smiled and zoomed back out.

"The demons have commanded spirits from Niflheim and have placed them all over Midgard. Maybe all over the Nine Realms by now. That's how they're entering the planet," he announced.

"So, what do we do?" Thor asked timidly, "How do we destroy it?"

"Energy cannot be destroyed. The only way to get rid of the portals is to send the spirits back to Niflheim, but I'm sure whoever is behind this is the only being with that power," I said.

"Banner, have you pinpointed any other portals? Or areas that look like that?" Loki asked.

Banner nodded and brought up a map of Europe, which projected around the living room. He zoomed in and pointed to a spot in Scotland.

"There's another spot that I've been monitoring," he said.

Loki stretched the area, examining the dark blue area. Upon closer inspection, the same characteristics as the first portal appeared.

"Why would they need two?" Tony asked, walking up beside us inside the projection.

"One to enter through and one to exit through, it appears," Thor spoke.

He stood from his seat and walked into the projection, looking around the map in wonder. He batted a building, sending it flying across the map.

"Thor, stop!" Loki scolded.

Thor brushed a finger over a patch of trees, the leaves moving with his finger.

"It's fascinating," he said, his tone reminding me of a little boy.

Tony slowly raised his arm and pushed Thor's hand down.

"We'll play with it later, big guy," he said.

Thor was mildly disappointed, but it was quickly forgotten when Loki spoke again.

"You think they're one way portals, brother?" Loki asked.

Thor shrugged.

"It's like Avery said. They're not intelligent. They're made out of the energy of the dead, and in most cases, isn't death one way?" he asked.

I bit my lip in thought.

"That is a possibility," I said, "However, the portal I fell through came out in the sky. Either they were careless about placement, or simply too stupid."

"Or perhaps that was their plan," Loki said.

We all looked at Loki, then shared unsure glances with each other.

"Dr. Banner, keep monitoring the portals. If they spike, we have something to work with. Stark, I want to you monitor S.H.I.E.L.D.'s movements. Understood?" Loki asked.

Tony gave Loki a thumbs-up and disengaged the projection. Loki's stomach growled loudly, causing all of us to freeze as the loud noise echoed throughout the room. Loki's eyes widened and he held his stomach. He sighed and looked to Tony and Dr. Banner.

"Please tell me you two brought food," he said.

Banner smiled.

"The refrigerator is full. Help yourself," he said.

Loki and I looked at each other before racing and fighting each other to be the first to the food.

"Loki, move!" I squealed.

"Avery, don't make me hurt you!" he threatened.

"If I don't get anything, you'll eat it all!" I argued.

"Are they always like this?" I heard Tony ask.

Thor just laughed.

***

It was early in the morning when I woke up. I opened my eyes to a dark bedroom, the only light being the moon. I took a deep breath and stretched before rolling over and curling back up. The room was cozy, as was the bed. However, it was no where near as comfy as my bed in Asgard. I wondered when we would be able to go home. I know Loki was probably as homesick as I was.  
I reached up and rubbed my eyes. As I did, I felt something rough scrape my eyelids. I winced and wiped my closed eyes with the backs of my wrists. Feeling nothing, I touched my fingertips to my thumbs and rubbed them. They felt rough and strange, as if all of them were wrapped in bandaids. Thinking I had slept weird and they were just numb from disuse, I shook my hands violently and flexed my fingers, but there was no change. I couldn't feel the blood rush back, as one would normally feel when your arm or foot falls asleep.  
I rolled onto my back and sat up. I raised my hands up to look at them. In the dim light, I could see something rough covering my fingers. I jumped and wiped them on the blankets in an attempt to wipe the foreign substance off, but it was no use. My heart began to race. What the hell was on my fingers?  
I jumped up from my bed and ran to the door, throwing it open with magic and jogging down the hall to the bathroom. From the doorway, I could see my reflection in the small mirror above the sink. I looked at myself as I reached a hand in to flip on the lights, but as I did, a silhouette with glowing yellow eyes stared back at me. I quickly turned on the light and rushed to the sink. In the mirror, I saw myself, but the eyes staring back at me were not mine. They were a fluorescent yellow color. I blinked and tried to rub my eyes, but I felt rough fingertips again. I held my hands up and opened my eyes to see that my fingers had turned gray and cracked. They had significantly shriveled, as if they were decaying. I began to breathe heavier as I went into panic mode. What was happening to me? What was wrong with my fingers? And my eyes?  
I turned around and did the only thing I could think of.

"Loki! LOKI!" I screamed.  
It took only a few seconds, but it felt like hours. I stared at my seemingly diseased fingers, wondering how this had happened and what would cause such a thing? Food allergy? Some strange reaction to the projection?  
Loki shot through the doorway as I tried not to hyperventilate.

"Darling, what's wrong? What is it?" he asked frantically.

I looked up at him and held my hands up. He stared at my hands in horror, then my eyes. He grasped my face and pushed my hair out of my face to get a better look at my eyes.

"What's happening to me?" I asked, scared and dancing the line of tears.

"Damn," he whispered, "Come here. Sit down."

Loki reached around me and slammed the toilet seat down.

"Keep calm. Come on. Sit," he ordered.

I obeyed, starting to shake.

"Thor!" Loki shouted.

"What's happening to me, Loki?" I asked.

"Shh," Loki said, and cupped my face, "You're going to be fine. Just stay calm for me, alright?"

I nodded. Thor burst through the doorway. Loki moved to the sink and summoned several glass bottles, setting them all on the counter. He picked up a few, wedging them between his fingers as a means to hold all of them.

"What's the matter?" Thor asked.

Loki pointed to me as he held a bottle to his lips.

"Sit with her. You need to bless her and bid her forgiveness," he ordered.

Thor nodded and moved over to me, sitting on the rim of the bathtub beside the toilet.

"Forgiveness?" I asked, "For what? What happened yesterday?"

Thor furrowed his eyebrows.

"What happened yesterday?" he asked.

Loki placed the cork between his teeth and yanked it free with a soft pop. He spat it into the basin of the sink and handed Thor the bottle of clear, oily liquid.

"Here," he said, "Anoint her with this."

Thor took the bottle and place his index finger over the open top to seal it, then turned it over to get some oil on his finger.

"Avery, love, please forgive me," Loki said, "I know I forgave you for what we did yesterday, but I wasn't thinking. I was being foolish."

Loki plugged the drain and began running hot water into the sink.

"Had the man threatened me, your actions would have been forgivable. However, he did nothing to us. We should have kept walking but we attacked him and the only person who can grant you forgiveness for it is Thor," he explained.

Thor began gently drawing runes on my forehead and asking the higher powers to bless me for forgiveness.

"I, Thor Odinson, grant you, Avery Dupont, forgiveness for your wicked misdeeds," he spoke.

"Loki, what's this gray stuff on me?" I asked.

Loki filled an empty bottle with herbs and things, then filled it with water, corked it, and shook it violently.

"It's called Witch Rot. It's what happens when a witch performs wicked acts. It will slowly consume you, until you're nothing more than a demon," he said.

I stared at Loki in horror.

"Don't fret, darling. I can stop it and heal it," he said.

I let out a shaky breath and closed my eyes as Thor finished the anointing.

"God, Loki, why didn't you tell me. I didn't know such a thing existed!" I cried out, tears brimming my eyes.

Loki stopped shaking the bottle and checked it. Unsatisfied with the potion, he resumed.

"Darling, every witch is prone to it. Frigga placed a spell on you to keep it from happening, but now that she's deceased, the spell has no effect. She didn't tell you to protect you. I could say the same thing. That I didn't tell you to keep the truth from you, but I didn't want you living in fear. Questioning your every spell and ritual like Mother did," he said.

I swallowed hard.

"So, is that the antidote?" I asked.

Loki nodded.

"I had to use it on Mother after she saved you from your burns and made you immortal," he said.

My fingers were starting to become painful.

"You mean, she risked Witch Rot to save me?" I asked.

Loki nodded and checked the bottle again.

"She loved you, Ave," he said, analyzing the orange liquid.

He uncorked it and set the cork on the counter.

"Darling, again, forgive me for not stopping you. I can't tell you that this won't hurt," he said.

I nodded.

"Do what you have to do," I said.

Loki nodded and summoned a dropper.

"Grab a washcloth, Thor," he said.

Thor did so.

"You will need to put it in your mouth to keep from biting your tongue," he said to me.

I cringed.

"Avery, I love you more than you could possibly ever know. Just know that it pains me to torture you this way. I am so very sorry for what I'm about to do, but it's the only way," he said.

I nodded.

"I forgive you," I said.

Loki frowned and kissed me before handing me the towel.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

He straightened to his full height when I couldn't see his face.

"Thor, hold her head," he said.

Hold my head? What?

Thor grasped my head firmly and tilted it to the side. Loki stuck the dropper in my ear. I felt him squirt the liquid and all hell broke loose. My ear was immediately on fire and began to pound. I screamed and tried to jerk away, but Thor's grip was like steel. I spat the towel out and screamed for the whole house to hear.

"It's not in my fucking ear!" I roared.

"If it wasn't, you wouldn't be in pain," Loki spoke.

They proceeded to administer the antidote to my other ear. My ears rang as they were flushed of Witch Rot, but the worst part was to come. They did it quicky, using the element of surprise to their advantage. Thor pinned me down with a strong leg and peeled an eye open. Loki dropped the antidote in my eye, and I momentarily went blind. The pain was like no other, and I was pleading and screaming for them to stop. I couldn't hear anything by the time the second eye was flushed. Loki then moved to my hands, igniting them with the antidote. I jerked and flailed and screamed, but under Thor's hands, it was no use. My hearing soon come back, and I felt warm liquid dribble down my neck.

"Avery, I am so sorry," Loki repeated as I screamed.

I cried hard. My vision soon come back and warm liquid drenched my cheeks.

"Is there supposed to be so much blood, Loki?" Thor asked.

I screamed at the mention of blood.

"Thor, you oaf. Shut up!" Loki snarled.

He began to wipe my fingers, revealing skinless digits.

"What the hell?" I shouted.

"Avery, the skin will grow back. Your eyes regrew. Your eardrums regrew. You'll be okay. You regenerate as fast as any Asgardian. You're fine," he said.

I succumbed to perfuse crying while Thor wiped the blood from my cheeks and neck. Loki bandaged my fingers carefully. Once the complete, he yanked me into a hug, running his fingers through my hair and whispering over and over that he loved me, that he was sorry, and that he would never let this happen again.

"Has the pain receded?" he asked.

I swallowed and nodded. My head was no longer pounding, but I did feel pain when I moved too quickly.

"You will be sore in the morning, but it will ebb throughout the day," he said.

"Avery, I apologize if I left any bruises," Thor spoke.

I looked up at the blonde god and gave him a small smile.

"Thank-you for forgiving me," I whispered, my voice gone from screaming.

Thor smiled and leaned down to hug me before bidding us goodnight and leaving to speak to Banner and Tony, assuring them that they did not kill me.  
I looked to Loki.

"Thank-you, Loki."

Loki looked like a kicked puppy.

"If I knew if an easier, painless way of stripping Witch Rot, I would have done it," he said.

I reached up and pecked Loki's lips.

"I'm just thankful you knew what to do," I said softly.

Loki's lips twitched, trying to form a smile.

"Please know that I would never willingly inflict some much pain on someone I love," he said.

I gave him a sad smile.

"Loki, I know," I whispered.

Loki gently took my bandaged hands with one hand and put his other arm around me, resting his forehead against mine.

"Never doubt that I love you," I whispered.

Loki kissed me, showing his gratitude through the intimate gesture.

"Come on, love. Let's go back to bed," he said.

Loki gently scooped me up, carrying me back out of the bathroom, making the mess disappear by magic as we left. He returned me to my room and gently laid me down and tucked me in.

"Do you need anything, sweetheart? Water? Alcohol, perhaps?" he asked.

I blinked at him, then reached a bandaged hand up.

"Stay with me," I whispered.

Loki smiled.

"Of course, darling," he replied.

Loki slipped under the covers and pulled me close to him. I curled into him as he carefully cuddled me.

"I will always stay with you," he whispered, then kissed my forehead, "Goodnight, my darling."

I no longer had the energy to speak, and sleep slowly took over, but I managed to kiss his collarbone before succumbing to unconsciousness.

_Goodnight, my King_.


	16. Bones

A black car drove down the main street of a small town in New Mexico, heading straight for the building at the end of the street, and going completely unnoticed by the woman inside, Dr. Jane Foster, who was currently performing scans, trying to perform her secret work she had been asked to perform by Loki and Avery. However, her current company was making concentration difficult. Darcy Lewis, her good friend and intern, was speaking incessantly of her date the night before with her own intern, then went on about Thor, asking when he was returning and if Jane would ask him to bring the blonde warrior who had flirted with her with him. Jane had passed off the request countless times, knowing it was merely a fleeting thought that passed across the younger woman's lips, and she knew Darcy would forget all about it once her boyfriend entered the room, or Dr. Selvig set out a game plan for the day. However, Dr. Selvig was working abroad, so Jane was stuck with a coffee-fueled intern and her own nagging thoughts, which somehow managed to drown out Darcy's voice.  
Her mind was on Thor. The usual questions were there. Where was he now? What was he doing? When would he return? Then there were the questions at hand. Questions about the portals. About Loki and Avery. She knew of Loki's ascension to the throne, and oddly enough, she found that she was quite at ease with the news. His performance into tricking her into thinking he had betrayed Thor in order to get the Aether released from her, then shielding her every chance he could and saving Thor's life proved to her that he was trustworthy and that he knew what he was doing. She knew to trust him if Thor trusted him, but his treatment towards her on their last confrontation had disturbed her.  
If it was not for Thor, Loki would have killed her. He would have let Avery, who seemed to be not only his sidekick, but some sort of lover as well, bat her around and turn her into her personal play-thing until she finally died. She seemed to be just as wicked as the Trickster God, and seemed to be in her element around Loki. Thor had spoken only good things of the woman, but she still scared Jane. What was more was what she said. She knew she was probably very good friends with both Asgardian brothers, and had said that she cared for Thor, so Jane didn't have to worry much about harming coming to him, but what Avery had said about her relationship with the God of Thunder that had struck a chord with her.  
She was aware of Thor's habits with women. He had admitted to her that he had been with, as he put it, "many a maiden," but he was honest with her, and seemed to be very passionate about their relationship, but what did she really mean to him? He obviously cared about her, for he had saved her life, but so had Loki, and he didn't give a damn about her. He had done it for Thor. What was she compared to the other women Thor could have in his life? Avery had been spot on about her being weak. Pathetic was the correct term. She had been around Sif, who had a body most women would love to have. She was strong, regal, beautiful. No doubt admired. And then of course there was Frigga. Older than Sif, sure, but just as agile and seemingly just as strong. Hell, the Queen could have killed her in one punch. What did Thor see in her—a pathetic mortal?  
She was sure it was brains and kindness, as well as the possible pity, and companionship. How far do those traits stretch with an Asgardian god? Apparently fifty years, according to Avery.  
Jane sighed. She didn't have any means to doubt Thor, but when she thought about it, he did leave for long periods of time, and had never seemed too eager to get back to her. He had not returned long before Loki had summoned him this most recent time. What if this really _was_ a fling? What kind of life could she live with a man who would look the same until her death? Surely he would move on. He may never give up protecting Midgard, for this was his birthplace, but she new he would most likely meet an Asgardian woman who could warm his heart, marry her, raise a family. Forget his little fling with a mortal on Midgard. It almost seemed as if he had started to forget her. Her boring little life in New Mexico, which even by human standards, was bland and far from busy. She wondered if maybe it was time to call it off with Thor. Remain good friends, but leave each other the freedom to live they were meant to. It was hard enough not having the luxury to date when she was in such a long distance relationship, and Darcy's romantic tales of movie nights and stargazing were such a cruel tease. Movies bore Thor, for he was forced to sit still for more than half an hour, and stargazing made him homesick, for the constellations above Earth were not the same as the brilliant night sky above Asgard.  
She began to get angry. Angry at herself and Thor. Why was she wasting her time? Furthermore, why was he wasting his time? He was only being nice to her to make her happy, but she knew to some extent he was unhappy. If being in a relationship with her bothered him so much, why didn't he just tell her to beat it? Hell, why hadn't he said it when his mother died? It was her fault she was dead. And what was more, was that he still wanted to run wild with the warriors of Asgard, and Loki's name was in every sentence that came out of his mouth. Loki is doing this. I wonder if Loki is going to do this. You should have seen Loki do this. Loki this. Loki that. I want to speak with Loki about this one thing. We had so much fun doing it. Maybe Loki and I could take Avery and The Warrior's Three to Whateverheim to do this really cool thing without her presence because Loki is cool like that. Loki. Loki. Loki! What the hell was so great but that insufferable, evil, awful little twerp? Tall, powerful, blood-thirsty twerp!

"That jerk," Jane growled under her breath.

Darcy was busy laughing at a joke she made when Jane spoke.

"What?" she asked.

Jane shuddered and looked up at her friend.

"Oh! Um, nothing. Sorry. You were saying?"

Darcy bit her lip, her eyes lighting up at the opportunity to pick Jane's mind.

"Nope. Tell me. Who's a jerk? Want me to beat 'em up, 'cause I can totally knock a guy out. Believe me!"

"No! Darcy, just…it's nothing. Just…okay, can I ask you something?" she asked.

Darcy looked intrigued.

"Fire away," she said.

"Well, it's more of a rant," Jane said, "Is it just me, or is it when two brothers are close, they drop their girlfriends to go goof off with their brothers and guy friends?"

"Nah, they always do that. It's part of the bro-code," Darcy replied, waving Jane off.

"Yeah, but it seems like Thor is spending more and more time with Loki. And used to, he'd tell me what they're doing. Whether it was some sort of meeting, or Avery," she went on.

Darcy narrowed her eyes.

"Avery? Who's Avery?" she asked.

It was Jane's turn to wave Darcy off.

"No one. Just Loki's girlfriend," she said, regretting she even brought up the name.

Darcy's eyes widened and she slammed her hands down excitedly on the table.

"Whoa! No shit? Loki has a girlfriend?" she exclaimed.

Jane closed her eyes and groaned.

"She's an old friend of his," she replied, not sure why she was suddenly defending the woman who nearly choked her to death, "Apparently this relationship has been developing for a long time. It's whatever. She was a friend of Thor's family for a long time and Loki finally nabbed her up or whatever."

Darcy nodded.

"I kind of can't believe he has a girlfriend now that I think about it."

Darcy snorted and watched a pair of birds fly by outside.

"Meh. Can't blame her," she said with a shrug.

Jane shot her friend a concerned look.

"What?" Darcy squeaked, "All of those Asgardians are freakin' handsome!"

Jane rolled her eyes.

"I'm just worried Thor is up to something with Loki. He's been really secretive with me, and usually he's very open. I think something's up," she said.

"Hope he isn't cheating on you or something," Darcy said.

Jane's eyes widened.

"Loki probably found him some woman and they could be hooking up or something," Darcy went on.

"Darcy, that's—"

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. The two women turned their heads to see three dark figures standing at the door.

"Oh, shit," Darcy blurted out.

Jane quickly slammed her laptop closed and stood to go open the door, Darcy trailing closely behind her. Jane opened the glass door to see two men and a woman. One man was tall, blonde, wearing a black rain jacket, plaid shirt, and khaki pants that didn't seem to go with a man who looked so young. The next man was clad in all black, including his sunglasses. The woman standing next to him was wearing tight black jeans, boots, and a green shirt over a black camisole, which contrasted drastically with her flaming red hair.

"Miss Foster?" the man in the sunglasses asked.

"Yeah?" Jane asked.

"Miss Foster," the woman spoke, "I'm Agent Romanoff, and this is Agent Barton, and our colleague, Mr. Steven Rogers. We're here on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Jane instantly became defensive.

"Okay, look. If you guys have come to confiscate more of my work, I'm going to need to see a search warrant," she said.

"We aren't here to take any of your stuff, ma'am," Rogers said politely.

"We're just here to ask you a few questions," Barton said, "May we come in?"

Jane sighed and allowed them access.

"Sure," she said with a sigh.

Darcy's eye were glued to Rogers, and as he took the door from Jane, trying to be a gentleman, she pointed a finger at him and gasped.

"Holy…you're Captain America, aren't you?" she asked.

Rogers was caught off guard for a moment, but recovered quickly and flashed the young intern a smile.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied.

"Ha! I knew it was you!" she exclaimed.

Jane grabbed Darcy.

"Hush!" she hissed to her, then turned to Rogers, "I'm sorry. She tends to get a little starstruck. You'll have to excuse her."

"I do not!" Darcy hissed.

"Darcy, hush!"

"It's perfectly alright, Miss Foster. I'm used to it," Rogers replied.

Agent Romanoff turned to Jane.

"If you don't mind, Miss Foster," she said, "we would like to speak with you in private."

Darcy held her hands up in surrender.

"I get it," she said, "I'll be on the roof if you need me, Jane."

Jane nodded and thanked her intern before turning back to the three Avengers.

"Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable," she said.

They gave her stiff nods and seated themselves around the table. Jane quickly took her seat where her laptop was placed. She didn't want one of them to see what she had been working on.

"We apologize if this comes as an inconvenience, Miss Foster, but it really couldn't wait," Barton said.

Jane nervously pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's no problem. Really. What can I help you guys with?" she asked.

"Early this morning, a pair of wanted criminals were photographed in front of this building at 6:20 a.m. We were wondering if you happened to see them, as I'm sure you know of them," Romanoff said.

Jane tried to keep a calm expression, but on the inside, she began to panic.

"Loki Laufeyson and Avery Dupont. Both Asgardians. I'm sure you have met Loki through Thor," Barton said.

Jane cleared her throat and nodded.

"Yes, I, um, know of both of them. Did you say wanted criminals?" she asked, trying to deflect the attention.

"Yes, ma'am," Rogers spoke up, "We believe they are behind another attempt at taking over the planet. Thor and Tony Stark are also wanted for assisting Loki's escape several days ago."

Jane's eyes widened.

"Thor? What?"

"Loki has been convicted of murdering three men in Los Angeles, California last week. He was caught after a woman by the name of Courtney Baars. She claimed Loki attacked her and a man she was with and slit the man's throat before disappearing. Several days later, he and Dupont appeared during a fight the Avengers were participating in with an alien race that Loki was supposed to identify for us. However, we believe Thor is somehow behind Loki not revealing what the aliens are. He was very suspicious when confronted about it. Loki and Dupont claimed they were here to help us, but when we told of what Loki had done in L.A., S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to arrest him. Dupont, Stark, and Thor helped Loki escape, and they all seem to be working to keep Loki safe. Dr. Bruce Banner has also disappeared. We think he may be helping," Romanoff explained.

The information was difficult for Jane to process.

"Thor is siding with Loki?" she asked.

The Agents and the Captain nodded.

"We have means to believe that 100% true, Miss Foster," Barton said.

"When we captured Loki the first time he arrived on Earth, Thor defended his evil deeds as, well, as simple behavioral issues that he thought we should overlook," Romanoff went on, "He does not seem to care about this planet and its people. He is helping Loki seek revenge on it. What we would like to know is if you saw Loki or Dupont."

Jane began to piece everything together in her mind. The secrecy. Always defending Loki. Speaking of Loki 24/7. Of course he was in on this! She didn't mean a damn thing to him this entire time. It was always about his crazed brother.  
In a brief moment of anger and betrayal, Jane spilled her information to the Avengers.

"I spoke with him and Avery. They requested for me to trace readings on portals. I assume to either hide them or bring in more aliens. One in particular in Sacramento, California. I can tell you what I know," she said.

The Avengers grew intrigued. Agent Romanoff stood and walked over to Jane as she opened her laptop.

"Tell me everything you know," she ordered.

Jane smiled.

"_With pleasure_," she thought.

***  
**Asgard**

Fandral stormed into the dungeons. Broken glass littered the floor, the bodies of guards were left mangled. One had been gutted and left inside the empty cell. The surrounding prisoners were in a happy frenzy.

"It's in here, sire," a guard said.

Fandral's boots crunched over broken glass as he entered the cell. Inside, blood stained the stark white walls. Fandral blanched as he read the letters written in the blood of the gutted guard.

"LONG LIVE THE KING"

"She called herself Lady Ancada. Of Helheim. As soon as she said it, a guard shifted into a demon and broke the glass, allowing her escape. She claimed that these Realms would be hers as she sucked the souls out of several surrounding guards. She became younger with each harvest, my Lord."

Fandral let out a shaky breath.

"Succubus," he whispered, "Where did she go?"

"I know not, sire. She did not say. She simply retreated. Should the King be alerted?" the guard asked.

Fandral shook his head, still in shock. He quite honestly had no idea what to do.

"Sire!" another guard called from the doorway.

Fandral and the guard he had been speaking with looked up to see a breathless guard. He bowed before Fandral before speaking.

"Sire, the Warrior Volstagg and Lady Sif have returned from Vanaheim with urgent news," he said.

Fandral nodded.

"Right. Okay, I want this mess cleared and that cell repaired. Remove all of the bodies and prepare them for a funeral. I want soldiers searching every inch of Asgard for the prisoner," he ordered.

The guards bowed and set to work. Fandral turned on his heel and stormed back out of the dungeons and made his way to the throne room where Volstagg and Sif were most likely waiting. He was grateful that the walk between the dungeons and the throne room was a long one. It gave him time to be with his thoughts for once. He did not like serving the role as king. As honorable as it was, it was beginning to take a toll on his nerves—and Fandral never lost his composure. He had to remind himself that he was doing it for Asgard, and as a favor to a friend while he defended them on Midgard. Regardless of Loki being the King, he would do anything for Loki if asked. They were allies. Friends. At the moment, he just wished it was not something so heavy on his shoulders.  
He felt like he had let Loki down. A prisoner, one that was more than just a mouthy servant, had broken out of prison. The only person who had the power to break the glass of the the cells was Thor wielding Mjolnir. He was certain Loki had some form of power to break the glass as well. He remembered helping Thor break Loki out of prison. Thor cracked the glass with Mjolnir, and Loki kicked in the barrier hard enough to send glass into the opposite stone columns. It took a tremendous amount of power to break out of the Asgardian prisons, and knowing that this woman had done it so effortlessly, it scared him. A succubus and her demon companion were on the loose, and Loki was in serious danger. This demon woman seemed crazed enough to do whatever it would take to bring Loki to his knees. He feared Thor and Avery were in danger as well, and he would never forgive himself if either of them were injured or killed because he and his friends didn't maintain strong enough security in the prisons.  
Fandral recalled the times before the war with Jotunheim. His chats with Loki during dinner, the laughs shared, the friendly banter during sparing matches in the Asgardian forests. The games played as children with Thor. The countless attacks they had taken for one another. Loki had never been one to let people close to him, but next to Thor, Fandral had shared more with the God of Mischief than the remaining Warrior's Three and Sif. He had also become close with Avery, and even though Loki was extremely protective (though, Fandral could not blame him), he had the privilege of befriending the young witch and quickly made a sparring partner—and unfortunately, developed a crush in the meantime.  
Fandral had developed a solid friendship with the dark sorceress over the years. She, Loki, and himself spent many an hour of fun and troublemaking together, but as the years went by, his heart tugged him towards Avery, and she often appeared in his dreams. Fandral knew better. Oh, he knew better than to go that route. Wooing Avery was no easy task, as several ill-timed flirtatious comments had resulted in sharp slaps to the face, a few being from Loki himself. He held better relationships with weaker maidens—ones who didn't share a mind similar to the Trickster prince of Asgard. Yet, he still daydreamed.  
He knew Avery was completely off-limits to him. He knew Loki loved her. He had always known that. And he knew Avery loved him. Even before she knew herself, it seemed. She had never told anyone, but Loki had told him and Thor. He never said anything further than admitting that he loved her, but Fandral knew almost immediately that the feelings between two magicians was mutual. He never experienced true love like his friends had, but he knew it when he saw it. He saw it blossom between his two friends, and he saw it in himself. He kept telling himself that it was a worthless thing to be dwelling upon day in and out, but ever since Avery's return, his mind was on her constantly, and he cherished the precious moments he got to speak with her, much less see her. He knew if Loki ever wronged her, he would be there for her, and would most likely beat the life out of Loki. Not because he was prepared to woo her and steal her out from Loki's nose, but because he loved her, and knew she was special, and for Loki to do something stupid enough to lose her was grounds enough for Fandral to knock some sense into his friend, King or not. If their relationship did not last, he would make sure he was there for the hurt one.  
Inside the throne room, Volstagg and Sif rushed him, scaring him out of his thoughts.

"By the Nine! Must you two stampede a shaken man?" he snapped.

Volstagg clapped a massive hand on the smaller man's shoulder.

"My good friend, we apologize. We were not thinking," he said kindly.

Fandral rolled his eyes.

"Clearly!"

"Fandral, please," Sif said, her brown eyes pleading with him, "We know what you've seen was disturbing. Forgive us for being so heartless."

Fandral nodded and waved her off.

"You are forgiven. What news have you for me?" he asked.

Volstagg and Sif exchanged anxious glances.

"The demons Thor spoke of," Sif began, "The ones attacking Midgard."

"They just led an attack on Vanaheim. We were nearly powerless against them," Volstagg added.

"And it wasn't just demons, Fandral," Sif said, her words trembling.

Fandral felt his blood run cold.

"What more?" he asked.

Volstagg cleared his throat.

"Frost Giants. Lowly ones. I would guess the lowest before being considered unworthy runts."

Fandral cut his eyes at the taller, bearded man, the cutdown towards Loki not going unnoticed, and certainly not ignored.

"I will not hear such out of your mouth, Volstagg," Fandral hissed venomously.

Volstagg nodded.

"I apologize," he said.

Sif grabbed Volstagg and Fandral's arms.

"Boys, please! What are we going to do about this attack? She we summon Loki?"

Fandral shook his head.

"We must take matters into our own hands. I'm sure you have heard news of the succubus we have running wild," he said bitterly.

The warriors nodded.

"Aye, we have," Volstagg replied.

"I have troops searching the Realm for her. In the meantime, we need to travel to Niflheim. That is where the demons are from, yes?"

Sif nodded.

"I have a hunch that a certain giantess is behind this," he said.

Sif's eyebrows knitted together.

"Hela?" she asked, confused, "Fandral, we've had our differences with her, but I highly doubt she would wage attacks like this. She normally keeps to herself."

"All the more reason to investigate. I doubt she has anything to do with the succubus, but in any case, it could not hurt. She may be able to help us. Perhaps she can be bargained with," Fandral said, and began to move back towards the door to leave.

Volstagg laughed.

"Oh, that is doubtful, my friend," he chortled.

Fandral sighed.

"We have to do something. We cannot leave Asgard in the mess it is when Loki returns. He'll have our heads," he said.

"I suppose you're right," Volstagg replied gruffly.

"Where might Hogun be?" he asked.

"He should be returning any time now," Sif replied.

Fandral nodded.

"You two prepare for travel. I will alert a guard to summon Loki is neither Hogun or ourselves return within the hour. Dress warmly, my friends. We're going to Niflheim," he said, a bit of excitement in his words.

At the mention of a challenge, Sif and Volstagg smiled and parted.

The warriors joined at the Observatory. Heimdall wished them well, and sent them on their way.  
Niflheim. A cold, mountainous land ruled by the Goddess of the Dead, Hela. She was a sight to behold. Seven feet tall, her true form disguised by her cloak she wore. She cared for the dead, and acted as a decider for the souls that came to her. She chose when a being's time was up. She held great power, and in the past, had caused problems with Thor and the Warrior's Three. However, in recent years, she had been quiet. Perhaps it had been due to the amount of dead coming in, but it was assumed that the Goddess was sitting on her throne, amused by the events taking place between the royal princes. Maybe she had been quietly plotting all along. There was only one way to find out.  
Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif landed on the dirt floor of Niflheim. Surrounding them was a vast plain of dry, dead grass, pathetic shrubbery, and stripped trees. The land was dark and barren, and the only light was that on the horizon, a reflection of from the sunlight of Midgard. The sky was purplish-brown that gradually swirled into blackness high in the sky. There were no stars, nor were there clouds. Just a faint cast of light from Midgard, and the ever looming presence of death. The warriors could not help but feel uneasy as they looked around. Their mortality was being tested.

"I never want to end up here," Sif spoke softly.

Fandral shifted uneasily. A feeling of doom surrounded the warriors.

"We must move," Volstagg said, "The sooner we speak with Hela, the sooner we can leave. The energy here is sickening."

Sif and Fandral nodded.

"Which way to the castle?" Fandral asked.

Volstagg looked up at the mountains beyond. As he did so, he frowned.

"Hmm. Strange," he commented, "The High Tower used to be visible from here."

Fandral's lips twitched into a small smirk.

"Perhaps Hela remodeled," he joked.

Sif grasped Fandral's forearm, her eyes glued to the mountain range.

"Oh, Fandral, come now!" Volstagg said playfully.

"Stop it! Both of you! I think I see smoke," Sif said.

Fandral and Volstagg's faces fell as the gazed upon the mountains. A plume of smoke rose over the peaks and disappeared into the dark sky.

"Let's go!" Fandral exclaimed.

With that, the warriors sprinted across the Niflheim plain and into the steep paths that led to the Castle of Hela. They followed the paths staked with skulls until they reached the top. Breathless from running and the high altitude, Volstagg had to lean on one knee to avoid collapse. Fandral stopped next to him and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I'm alright," Volstagg assured him.

Sif looked out upon the world in front of her. Smoke billowed to the sky, dead creatures lay around, once servants of the Goddess of Death. Spirits drifted around the foundation of what once was the ominous structure and home of Hela. It now lay in ruins.

"Damn," she whispered.

Fandral and Volstagg looked up to see the smoking rubble.

"It's gone," Volstagg said.

Fandral gripped the warrior's arm and helped him back up.

"This is not a good sign," Fandral spoke, stepping up to Sif.

"We must find Hela," she said, swallowing down her fear.

A spirit from on high swooped down and landed in front of the warriors. The three jumped and slowly moved away from the glowing entity. The spirit resembled an old man, withered and frail. He looked upon them with glowing white eyes.

"Asgardians?" he whispered.

The warriors slowly nodded. The man bowed his head in respect and pointed to a high pile of rubble. A skeletal hand was poking out of the rock.  
Fandral was the first to run. Sif and Volstagg quickly followed after as he bolted to the pile.

"Get this rubbish off of her!" he shouted.

Sif and Volstagg helped heave the heavy rock and debris off of the Goddess. They worked quickly to reveal the top half of the seven foot giantess. Upon revealing her, they found her sullen, bleeding, and unconscious. Volstagg gagged, her decomposed half making him nauseous.

"Control yourself!" Fandral hissed.

Sif peered over Fandral's shoulder as he leaned over Hela.

"Is she dead?" Sif asked.

Fandral pressed his hand to the living side of her neck. Unfortunately, there was no pulse. Fandral shook his head. Volstagg climbed back down from the pile and wretched. Sif and Fandral cringed. Volstagg assured them it was merely altitude sickness.

"Who could have done this?" Sif asked.

"The only being so bold as to dare do something like this," Fandral replied bitterly.

"The succubus?" she asked.

Fandral nodded and looked up at his companion.

"What better way to gain strength than take the soul of one of the most powerful Goddesses in the Nine Realms?" he asked.

Sif nodded understandingly. Fandral looked upon the body of the fallen Goddess, a small amount of sadness beginning to grow.

"But why?" Sif asked.

"To get what she so desires," Fandral replied, "On the wall of her cell, she wrote 'Long live the King' with the blood of a gutted guard. She desires Loki's death. She seeks to weaken him. What more effective way to do so than to kill those he cares about? Leave him with nothing left to live for and begging for death."

Sif didn't reply. Volstagg appeared beside, looking tired, but not so green.

"We need to take her back to Asgard," Fandral said.

"What?" Sif exclaimed.

"Are you mad?" Volstagg asked.

"She needs a proper funeral!" Fandral argued.

Sif sighed.

"Fandral, we can't. We can cremate her here," she said.

"She is his child, Sif!" Fandral barked.

He jumped to his feet and spun around to face the Goddess of War.

"We need to take her back to Asgard," he said, taking a deep breath to calm his outrage.

"Fandral, what will the Asgardians say?" she asked, "It is not a good omen to see the body of a deity of Death in Asgard."

"She was his only daughter, Sif," Fandral said through gritted teeth, "Sure they had their differences as she grew older, but Loki still loved her. You know how he is. He has always been a good father to his children. This will crush him. The least we can do is preserve the body until his return so he can have a chance to say his goodbyes."

Sif sighed and looked upon the giantess. Fandral turned back to Hela and kneeled beside her.

"Wouldn't you want to say goodbye to your children?" he asked Sif.

Sif sighed.

"I would," Volstagg said, "I don't know what I would do if I lost my family. My children are everything to me."

Fandral gave his friend a soft smile.

"You see, Sif? We must return her to her father," he said.

Sif nodded.

"Alright," she said.

Fandral looked to Volstagg.

"Volstagg, return to Asgard and have some sort of carriage and covering brought to the Observatory. Have the corridors and streets of Asgard cleared. Hela mustn't been seen," he said.

Volstagg nodded.

"What will be my excuse for such an odd request?" he asked.

Fandral waved his hand.

"Some sort of drill. Just make sure we can conceal Hela," he said.

Volstagg nodded and turned to return to the Bifrost.

"Help me expose her completely, Sif," Fandral said.

Sif nodded and she helped Fandral pull the rest of the stone and the debris from the Goddess's body. Once fully uncovered, they spent a few quiet moments gazing upon Loki's daughter.

"I don't want to know the pain he's going to be in," Sif said.

Fandral nodded.

"We are going to have to find the rest of his children and try our best to keep them safe. I feel Hela's siblings are next, and then Avery and Thor. That, pardon my language, but wench is going to destroy Loki from the inside out. One could say that he deserves it, but I'll be damned if it happens under my watch. I don't want to lose anyone else in this."

"Neither do I," Sif agreed.

Fandral leaned back down to the body and took Hela's healthy hand.

"Open the Bifrost, Heimdall."

The Bifrost opened wide. Fandral grasped Hela's cold hand tightly. I scary thought passed through his mind. If Lady Ancada could kill the powerful Goddess of Death so quickly, then Avery had no chance. Neither did Thor or Loki. He vowed then, looking upon the face of Loki's daughter, that he would devote himself to keep his friends safe. Anything length. Any risk. He would take it.


End file.
